The Joys of Being A Sociopathic Father
by GagaMidnight
Summary: *Total rewrite of my original* Sherlock discovers Irene Adler in his flat after escaping death in the pool with Moriarty. She talks him in to helping her save her daughter from an abductor with intent to kill her, but what he doesn't know is that she is HIS daughter. Not until it's too late and Irene Adler is dead. Can Sherlock accept her, for who she is? And can she let him in?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** ~ This is a re-write of the original one that you may or may not have heard about (you can finds links to the originals in my profile) and it's going to be a bit different, and follow more of the second season storyline. This is an AU and Irene Adler met Sherlock beforehand, not as she did in Season 2.

* * *

**The Joys of Being A Sociopathic Father - Chapter One**

Drip. Drip. Drip. It's all that Sophia Adler can hear. It's coming from a leak in the basement ceiling. She hugs herself with her arms. She's going to die. She has roughly a day left, if she's been calculating the time that's passed by, correctly.

The basement she's in is cold, empty, except for blood stains belonging to Sophia and other kidnapped teenagers, who were unfortunate enough to have been taken. She closes her eyes and begins to sing quietly to herself.

* * *

"What made him stop? Hmm?" John Watson asks his flatmate Sherlock Holmes as soon as they reach Baker Street, where they live. "Why on earth did he just leave?"

"In all honesty. No idea." Sherlock replies, as they enter the flat to make their way upstairs to their living room. Sherlock stops in the doorway for a while and stares on in shock to see a tall woman with wavy brown hair, cheekbones that envied his own sharp cheekbones, and green eyes. She looked at him, with tear stained eyes.

"Sherlock...I need your help." the woman says to him softly. She looks over his shoulder and sees John.

For a moment there is a long, long moment of silence. Sherlock swallows, as he stares on at her.

"This is my friend John. John this is _The _Woman." Sherlock introduces them. John stands confused. _The _Woman. I'd stay away from her, she's got a habit of putting coffee in your drugs."

He turns around and motions for her to take a seat. "You don't normally break in to my places of residence!" states, Sherlock, although he's being sarcastic. "How can I be of assistant to you, Miss Adler? Mrs Norton, actually isn't it?"

"Adler." she tells him. "Must we debate over the past. I really need your help. My daughter has been kidnapped by a murderer and she only has a day left, according to his usual pattern and I don't think that the police will find her. So I'm hiring you!" Adler replies.

"You're hiring me? Really?" Sherlock, scoffs. He doesn't want to go and find someone who is the daughter of his ex-girlfriend and the man that his ex-girlfriend married after splitting up with him. Adler stands up and makes her way over to him.

"Now is not the time for your childishness, Sherlock! Please! Help me find my daughter! I came to you because I know that you're just brilliant enough to do it."

"Sherlock...you should help her." John says, firmly.

"I assume that you have the case file." Sherlock presumes.

"Yes." Irene replies, before digging it out of her bag. "Sherlock...She's all I have in this world. I...can't lose my child."

Sherlock looks at her and swallows. "What age is she?"

"She's a teenager." Adler replies.

"What's her name?" John asks.

"Sophia." Adler replies, to John's question, bowing her head, unable to look at Sherlock.

"Going by the earliest time you were with Norton, anything from fifteen down the way to thirteen." Sherlock deduces.

Irene looks away and bites her lip as Sherlock begins reading the report. "What's her schedule for the day she was taken?" Sherlock asks.

"She goes to school. Walks. Then she'll go make a visit to the library for a while until the bell rings for her registration class and then she'll go there. After registration she goes to her two morning classes and then has interval where she'll go for a break in the library and then two more classes, and then lunch break and she usually phones me then, then she'll go to her final two classes. She didn't phone me that day and when I got home from a trip in to Oxford she wasn't there. Only the note from who took her." Adler replies.

* * *

A day passes and Sophia sits with her knees to her chest, wishing that she could find something in the room to hit her captor with and wound him enough for her to hastily flee and find her mother. She's no physical strength left to pick a fight. From what she remembers of her abduction, her captor is strong. An ex-boxer from what she could tell. She hears footsteps and she takes a deep breath. Her only regret is that she never got to call her mother before she died. The door opens and Sophia stares on. Standing before her is not someone with the physique of a boxer. No. Standing before her is someone slim, with a long coat and a blue scarf. He's got sharp cheekbones, and blue eyes. Blue eyes that look very familiar to her.

Then she hears more footsteps and her mother comes running in to throw her arms around her. "Oh my goodness, look at you. You are absolutely freezing." Adler says.

"Where is the guy who brought me here?" Sophia asks.

"C'mon the police are dealing with him." Adler informs her with a gentle voice. Sophia stands up and looks at the man with the long coat. "That's Sherlock Holmes. A detective who helped me find you."

"Oh." Sophia utters. For a brief moment she thought something else of the man. "Keep up the good work."

"Good work?" Sherlock questions.

"Come on let's get you home to heat up." comforts Adler, moving Sophia away from Sherlock.

Sherlock takes his coat off. "Allow me." he says, putting it over the girl.

"Thank you." Adler says to him.

"You're welcome _Woman._" he replies.

Sophia walks outside the house with her mother and turns to her and smiles. "I didn't get to phone you the other day like I usually do." Sophia says.

"Is that all you could think about?" Adler asks, stroking her daughter's hair. "Only you. You're so brave."

Adler smiles. Suddenly the smile disappears to be replaced by an expression of shock and she puts her hand to her abdomen as a crimson colour escapes her side.

"Mum." Sophia utters, shocked, catching her before she falls. "Mum!"

She looks over to the house. "Someone help! Help!"

Sherlock comes running out, and sees what's happened. "Help her! She's been shot!" Sophia has tears running down her cheeks.

"Lestrade an ambulance!" Sherlock shouts.

* * *

Sophia sits in the waiting room for the operating theatre, and doesn't say a thing to Sherlock or Detective Lestrade. She knows Lestrade wants to question her about what happened but she doesn't want to speak to anyone. Suddenly she turns her head to look around to find the surgeon there, covered in blood. She doesn't understand why they don't change their scrubs when they come to tell the news, because it's so distressing for the family.

"I'm sorry." he apologises, and Sophia swallows. "I'm afraid Irene Adler didn't make it through the surgery. Time wasn't on her side."

If there was ever a time that Sherlock has ever been able to understand what anyone is going through, it's right now. He's feeling the same as Sophia Adler but he's not one to show what he feels. The young Adler walks over to him and hands him his coat over before approaching Lestrade.

"We understand that your step-father is Godfrey Norton." Lestrade says to her. "We can contact him or we can contact social services. It's entirely up to you. But you're going to need someone because of your abductor and obviously you're classed as a minor. You're only sixteen."

Sherlock frowns his eyebrows. Sixteen. She's _sixteen._ Norton is her step-father.

"Not Norton." Sophia says, somberly. She looks away from Lestrade, and Sherlock finally notices her eyes. They are so like his own.

"You're my daughter." Sherlock says, suddenly. She turns around and looks at him, expressionless. "You're _my _daughter. Not Norton's! It's why Irene was in a rush to get you away from me. She didn't want me finding out."

"Sherlock what's going on?" Lestrade asks.

Sophia suddenly runs out of the room and Sherlock remains sitting in his chair. "She's my daughter!...I don't want a daughter!"

"Excuse me a moment, Sherlock." Lestrade speaks. "I don't know what's up with you except for the fact that you think she's your daughter but come on...unless you and her mother...Did you?"

"What?" Sherlock asks.

"Were you and Irene Adler an item?"

"Item?"

"Yes they were. That girl is his daughter." a voice says. They turn around to see Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's brother.

"I'm sorry I'm late." he speaks. "Where did she go?"

* * *

"Away." Lestrade replies. "I need to find her."

"Sophia! Sophia Adler!" Lestrade shouts after Sophia who is making her way down a set of stairs. She looks up and sighs.

"Just leave me alone, okay?" she asks, tears falling down her cheek. "I've pretty much had enough. Just when I thought that I got to see my mother again...she dies...and I don't understand why. I don't understand! So I'm just going to go."

Lestrade chases after and grabs her arm. "Listen...I know it's hard for you. And Sherlock just comes out and says stuff..."

"You heard what he says...he's my father! You know what when I first saw him, when he opened the door to where I was being held...I kind of thought that and...I don't need a father. I don't need a father. Besides...he doesn't seem the type to want to be a father."

"Sophia...I'm sorry about the position you're in right now but..."

"I _don't _want social services and I certainly don't want Norton! So you can you just leave me alone and I'll look after myself."

Sophia leaves the hospital building and a black car pulls up in front of her. Someone steps out and gestures to the car. "Someone requires your presence in this car. My boss." he says. "Miss Adler. Get in to the car."

* * *

"Where are you going?" Sherlock asks, Mycroft who turns around and goes to leave.

"I knew of her existence before you did, Sherlock. I just never told you." Mycroft replies. "I'm away to go and talk to my niece. She's been through a rather traumatic time."


	2. Chapter 2

Sophia sits and waits in the back of the black car that met her outside the hospital. It's driving around the back of the hospital, while Sophia keeps glancing at the woman across from her, who is sitting, punching the keys on her blackberry mobile. It's annoying Sophia that no one's realized that she wants to be on her own. She doesn't break down in front of others. When the car stops, the driver gets out and opens the door. In steps a tall man with an umbrella who sits next to Anthea.

"Sophia Adler. I'm Mycroft Holmes." he informs her. She just glances at him and swallows. She can tell right away from the car, the personal assistant, the driver and his three piece suit that he's in some form of either politics or the secret service. Perhaps even both. Either way she knows he's with the British Government.

She looks away to face the window. "How are you feeling?" he asks, quietly. Her head shoots around and she opens her mouth to speak but can't. There's a slight look of wonder on her face, as it coincides with her mentally asked question; did he really just ask me that? Mycroft does not fail to realize that she's struggling to reply without saying something, catty. There is no doubt that she's feeling horrible. She was abducted and left in a cold basement without food or water for a couple of days, and as soon as she escapes it her mother is killed and then she finds out who her real father is. But he asks because he wants to know how much she is like Sherlock. Will she be completely in denial of having any emotional feelings and claim to have no organ between her lungs, and take on the title of sociopath; or is she open about how she feels. Right away by looking at her, he can tell she's neither.

"Why do you need to speak to me?" Sophia demands to know, her voice dry. She is clenching her fists. She wants to go home; away from everything. She's angry, and tired and upset.

"I don't blame you for running out of the hospital like you did. You're in quite a difficult position. But people are willing to help you with it." Mycroft says, softly.

Sophia glances at him in such a way that very much makes Mycroft think she's a miniature Sherlock for a moment. Perhaps it's their identical eyes. "You did not answer my question, Mr Mycroft Holmes."

He doesn't answer her question but continues to talk. "As you know you've no legal guardian. There is your step-father but I gather we're not fond of him for obvious reasons, am I right? I would suggest social work but I suppose that's not the best option either. You wouldn't like that for one and I would like to know what you're doing."

Sophia folders her arms and eyes him with contempt. "Or perhaps because right now you're seeing me as a threat to your brother, being in existence. So you want me out the way. Well to be quite frank Mr Holmes, I'm not interested in the other Mr Holmes and I refuse to believe that he could be my biological father."

"I knew about you before you were even born." he tells her. "I thought that you and him would never meet. I guess I was wrong, there. You know I did not say that I was Sherlock's brother. How did you know?"

"So get on with it." she orders him. "Tell me about how you're going to eradicate me from your brother's life when I'm not even in it." She doesn't answer his question. "I won't bother you or him; and I certainly do not need a guardian. Now if you're done with your little chat then I would like to leave."

"But you'll stay and listen to me because your mother was killed by a sniper. That much I know. Whoever wanted her dead must have power or needed something. What if you're not safe either? What if, Sophia Holmes that whoever wanted your mother dead, wanted her dead because you're now in a position where you're vulnerable or in a position to make my brother vulnerable." Mycroft replies. "I know that a psychopathic Consulting Criminal has an interest in my brother and I can't help but feel that he may be connected with this."

"Who is he?" Sophia asks, hoarsely.

"James Moriarty."

* * *

Sherlock opens the door to Baker Street and makes his way inside. "Are you alright?" John asks.

"Yeah. Fine. Good." he replies before going to his room and closing the door behind him.

His phone vibrates in his pocket and he takes it out to look at it.

**Don't worry, Sherlock. I will deal with your problem. MH**

Sherlock puts his phone back in his pocket and stands up before leaving and making his way downstairs. "Did you bring any milk in with you?" asks, Sherlock.

"No. Why don't you get it?" John retorts as he turns around to stare at him.

"Yeah." he replies. "I have to go to the lab. I'll be back soon."

He turns around and makes his way out of Baker Street, pulling a cab almost immediately. When he gets inside he puts his hand in a prayer shape, after telling the cab driver that his destination is Saint Bart's hospital.

He sits in silence until he gets there when he pays the driver. He then leaves the cab and makes his way in to the hospital, and then to the lab, where he's greeted by Molly Hooper - a pathologist with light brown hair.

"Oh!" she utters in surprise when she sees Sherlock. "I wasn't expecting to see you. But then again you just turn up anywhere."

Sherlock is already brushing past her and grabbing chemicals from the shelves. "Umm...do you need any help?" asks Molly.

"No." he replies, not paying attention to what she is saying.

"Well alright...I'll be downstairs if you need anything." she informs him, before leaving.

* * *

The next day

Sophia begins packing a suitcase in her room, at her house. Finally she's alone but no matter how much she wants to she can't find it in her to cry. She's sad. She's angry. She's alone. But she can't cry and she doesn't understand why. Isn't that what people do when they are sad? Cry? Maybe it's because she hasn't accepted that her mother is gone. There's a knock at the door and then it opens. She doesn't turn around, but continues packing anyway.

"Miss Adler." she hears a voice say.

She turns around to face Sherlock. "What are you doing here?" she demands to know.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asks her.

"You didn't answer my question."

"You didn't answer _my _question." he replies. "Anyway...in regards to yours...I am looking for my brother."

"Well I'm afraid he isn't here, yet." Sophia replies, bitterly.

She closes the suitcase over, lifts it up and barges past Sherlock and storming downstairs.

"Does he think it is Jim Moriarty that is behind this?" Sherlock asks her when he reaches the bottom. She puts the suitcase at the door.

"I don't care." she tells him, before marching back up a few steps on the stairs so she is eye level with him.

"Yes you do." Sherlock tells her.

The door opens and Anthea, Mycroft's PA, steps inside. "Sophia. It's time to go."

"Goodbye, Mr Holmes." Sherlock hears Sophia say before grabbing her suitcase again and leaving with Anthea.


	3. Chapter 3

Despite her best intentions to avoid having to admit to herself that she is not coping with the idea of losing her mother and her life just suddenly being taken over by someone she had never met until recently, Sophia ends up going to her dorm room after a visit to the village not so far from the school. She throws her bag on the floor in exhaustion and throws herself on to the bed to start crying - only she can't. She wants to, to the highest degree, but it's suddenly become impossible for her. It's like she's become in many ways, inhuman. Instead she just screams in to her pillow and then turns around to face the ceiling.

Her mother was shot in front of her. She didn't see the shooter. She knew right away it was a sniper. But the feeling that she could have maybe done something to stop it, lingered in her mind. Survivor's guilt. There was nothing she could do or could have done, but yet she continues to blame herself so that the blame could be placed on something; someone. She can't find the person who done it because she's being kept in the dark, and in a boarding school in the English countryside.

An idea suddenly hits her. She'll find out on her own. There's absolutely no need for her to stay where she is. She stands up and moves over to her computer. "First of all...let's see the best way to get back to London." she utters. "Of course, this place is in the middle of nowhere. I'll need to make other plans. I could walk. Make it for the morning train at ten o'clock. Best hurry."

* * *

**After noon the next day... **

Sherlock sits at his laptop with his hands in a prayer shape. He's fighting curiosity and despite his devotion to keep the fact hidden from even himself, he's falling in to sentiment he once felt for _The Woman. _Irene Adler. He leans back in the chair before standing up and grabbing his coat. He puts his scarf on after he puts on his coat and makes his way downstairs. Time for him to find out what's going on.

* * *

Sophia hesitantly reaches her hand out to open the door which will lead her to the room, that the sniper who killed her mother used as a vantage point. She puts her hand on the handle and takes a deep breath before pulling the handle. It won't open. It's locked.

"Stuff it." she says before kicking it, and forcing it open.

A hand grabs her shoulder. She takes a deep breath before turning around and pinning who grabbed her against the wall. She finally sees who it is.

"Careless of you." Sherlock comments. "You're trying to investigate a crime scene, not contaminate it." he informs her.

She backs away and in to the door. "You do not sneak up on someone like that." she tells him, gravely. "I could have done you a serious injury...I could have even have killed you."

He looks at her for one moment. Her eyes are bloodshot, her clothes creased, her hair done up in a messy bun, and she's shivering - no wonder too, she isn't wearing a coat. Foolish child. No regards to her own health whatsoever.

"You're cold." he deduces. He takes his coat off and put's it around her. "I can't look at a crime scene with your teeth chattering, can I?" He walks inside and she follows him. "What were you planning on looking for?"

"I just came to look." she replies, quietly. She's in shock that he's actually given her is coat for a second time. Her eyes suddenly come across and object on the windowsill. "Mr Holmes." She walks over to it and looks at it. "Can I pick it up or do I need gloves or something. It's..."

He walks over and picks it up himself. "What is it?" he asks.

Sophia takes it out his hand. "It's a gambling chip." she tells him. "Ever heard of poker?"

He snatches it back off of her. "Isn't that a card game?" he asks.

"Yes." she replies, before taking it back off of him.

"Did I say you could take it?" he asks.

"No. But you didn't say I couldn't!" she quips.

"Miss Adler, you can't take it. There happy?!" he remarks.

She walks away before he can take it back off of her. "I bet this is the sniper's payment. If we find out what casino it's for...we can find out who it was meant for...or at least find something out about him or her."

"We?" Sherlock inquires.

"Well I assume you would like to come along since you've decided you're investigating this too?" She looks at him as if he's some sort of idiot or a lost boy who has said something he shouldn't have and Sherlock doesn't like it. She has no regard for the fact that he is of superior intellect. It's like she doesn't care about that, at all. Most people either praised him or insulted him. She's doing neither.

"Fine then. You stay where you are. I'm going. Do you want your coat, back?" she asks him.

"No. Yes...Fine." he replies. "Keep it until we get to Baker Street."

"Is that where you live?" Sophia asks.

"Yes. Obviously. Keep up!"

"I beg your pardon! I'm not a dog." she tells him. Sherlock looks at her and she looks back him, both of them drawing each other an identical scowl.

"Do you have a microscope?" she inquires, not looking away.

"What kind of detective would I be if I didn't?" he asks. "Why?"

"I left mine at the boarding school, several miles from here." Sophia explains.

"I can't wait until you go back there." Sherlock tells her.

"Lovely. At least someone will be glad to have me in that place other than Mycroft Holmes. Do you know they shut the internet off at midnight. Who does that?"

"Tedious." Sherlock replies as he leaves.

"What's tedious?" Sophia asks.

"How you find simple things like internet stimulating." Sherlock tells her.

"It's a big part in everyone's lives now. Information rich society."

"Society's information is wrong."

"And yours is correct? I register the fact you're good enough to be who you are but can't be right all the time, Mr Holmes."

"Neither can you Miss Adler."

"I can try." she tells him.

"Maybe you ought to try harder." he remarks. When they get to the street he calls on a taxi. "Taxi!"


	4. Chapter 4

John stares at the girl who is in the flat, examining the gambling chip under a microscope. She's still wearing Sherlock's coat. But John's too busy watching Sherlock glance every now and then from his mobile over to the brunette. "You'll not beat my network." Sherlock tells her.

"Really?" she asks, not even looking up. "You can't always win."

"Oh but I can try." Sherlock replies.

"Then perhaps you should try harder." she retorts.

At the same time they both suddenly stand up. "Geronimo!" Sophia says as Sherlock says. "Got them."

"What have you got?" Sherlock asks.

"The name of the place and it's co-ordinates. What have you got?" Sophia replies, folding her arms and prompting him to tell her with her eyes.

John looks from one to the other. "I'm sorry...but it would be good if you could tell me what's going on."

Sophia throws John the chip. "I found this at the spot where my the sniper resided to kill my mother. It could be a form of payment once the job is done or it could have fell from his or her pocket when they were leaving...either way it could lead me to finding who killed my mother. If it's Moriarty then...then it'll lead us to at least the sniper he hired. Now the place the chip came from is..." she explains.

"The Jade Dragon Den." Sherlock finishes with her.

"Co-ordinates are written on the chip." she explains to John.

"My network have found the place. You would have to have gone on the internet to find where the coordinates lead which is..."

"Chinatown." she finishes off for him. "I have an app on my iPhone."

"Are we going there, then?" John asks. "Shouldn't you be at school, it's a weekday."

"Define should." Sophia replies.

"Wait a minute did you say Geronimo?" Sherlock asks.

"Yes...it's a fantastic word. Now allons-y. We should probably go." she tells him.

John goes to grab his jacket from the chair at the window and then he pauses. "Mycroft's coming." John says.

"What's he doing here?" Sherlock asks. "Probably looking for Miss Adler." He turns around to talk to her but she's gone and so is the chip.

"Where did she go? Why would Mycroft be here looking for Sophia?" John questions him. Sherlock goes to put on his coat but realises it's not there. Sophia must still be wearing it.

"Sherlock." Mycroft utters as he steps inside. "You saw I was coming?"

"Hard to miss you. You should stick with your diet." teases Sherlock. "Why are you here?"

"A certain teenager was reported missing from her classes, and in fact the entire boarding school this morning. Has she come here?" Mycroft asks.

"I don't know. John have you see a teenager?" Sherlock asks, turning to him.

"Why would you be interested in a teenager? And no we've not seen one." John replies. "Mrs Hudson might have...why would she come here? Why are you even here looking for her?"

Mycroft looks at Sherlock who has his scarf on over his suit jacket. "Where's your coat?" Mycroft asks, knowing that according to the cameras at Kings Cross station, Sophia didn't have a coat.

"It's upstairs. Was just about to go and get it." Sherlock says. "Now whoever you're looking for is not even here. So I suggest you go."

Sherlock makes his way upstairs and opens his room door to find that his coat is hanging on the back of the door. He puts it on and smiles when he sees his window open. He closes it and makes his way downstairs. "See. Right here." he says. "Now if you don't mind. I have a case."

He turns to John. "John are you coming?"

* * *

"Where is she?" John asks when they get in a taxi.

"She says she'll meet us there." Sherlock replies. "Left a note in my coat."

"You know why Mycroft is interested in Irene Adler's daughter, don't you?" John asks. "Is she a witness or something or did she do something wrong..."

"Some things are best left unknown, John." Sherlock says with a sigh.

* * *

Sophia stands not far from the gambling den's entrance, and leans against a lamppost as she plays with her phone, or appears to be. She get's a text message and then opens it up to read it.

**Don't be alarmed, I'm about to put my hand on your shoulder. So don't try and kill me this time, Miss Adler. SH **

"Mycroft's looking for you." Sherlock says, grabbing her shoulder. "Which means we've probably not got much time."

"You shouldn't be cutting your classes." John tells her.

"The day that the classes become interesting. Is the day that I will care." Sophia replies.

"What have you found out?" Sherlock asks, her.

"You need a password to get in. Here give me your phone."

She calls her mobile with Sherlock's phone and then takes her iPhone and hands Sherlock his phone back. "Don't end the call."

She moves over and begins to walk onwards to someone who is clearly talking to his girlfriend before he goes in to the den. She drops the phone in his pocket and then nods to Sherlock.

Sherlock listens as the man and his girlfriend go up to the door. "Tranquil." he hears him say.

"C'mon John." Sherlock says, as Sophia approaches them.

"They're not just going to let me in, with the knowledge of the password." Sophia says.

"That's because you're not going in."

Sophia goes to speak but can't. "Don't worry. I'll get your iPhone back."

"You're not allowed in a casino, never mind a gambling den. It's illegal to go in to one of these and illegal for an under twenty one." John's explaining. "You're not going in there."

"Why is he going in again if the minimum age is twenty one?" Sophia asks. "He looks like a twelve year old and acts like a five year old."

"Wait here." John says.

"Wait." Sophia says, before handing John a pair of shades. "You can be his bodyguard. They won't believe he'll go somewhere on his own. I mean he's not exactly the fighting type. Look at him."

"Actually..." Sherlock goes to say.

"Right." John says.

"Sort your jacket and make them think you're carrying."

"Is it me or do you watch too many television programs and movies?" John asks.

"Maybe but just go before they find my iPhone." Sophia replies.

"Wait here and don't move." Sherlock tells her, firmly.

"Right." she replies before handing him the chip.

Sherlock and John make their way over, and they are let inside a few moments later. Sophia stands and looks around her. She doesn't like the fact that she's now being kept in the dark again, but for some reason she trusts, Sherlock more than anyone else who has offered to help her since her mother died, and the fact is he hasn't offered to help her at all.


	5. Chapter 5

Sherlock steps up to the chip exchange counter after retrieving Sophia's iPhone. "Hello...I would like to exchange this please." Sherlock informs the man at the counter. The man looks at the chip in his hands and swallows. Before excusing himself and stepping into a room at the back.

"What's going on?" John asks.

The man comes back, carrying an envelope. "Here you are Mr Adler." he says. Sherlock frowns but doesn't question it. He takes the package and sees that in red handwriting is the word **Adler**. Sherlock doesn't know if he should open it or not.

He opens it anyway and finds a gold locket inside. "I see." he says with a swallow. "The Woman's gold locket."

Sherlock puts it in his pocket and reads a note in the envelope.

**You tried, Miss Adler. For that I must reward you with your mother's locket but sorry - nothing to be revealed. **

* * *

Sophia hugs herself with her arms as she stands outside and waits. Sherlock and John make their way out. "Anything?" Sophia asks.

"Nothing." Sherlock replies. "It was a wild duck chase."

"Goose." John corrects him.

"What do you mean nothing? They had no reaction to you handing in the chip."

"No reaction at all. Just a gold locket, belonging to your mother and a nice try note." Sherlock replies.

"They didn't get angry?" Sophia asks.

"Didn't get angry? It's not one of those stupid films you see in the cinema. It's just a gambling den. Tedious."

"Well I kind of took something out of the gambling chip." Sophia says.

Sherlock grabs her shoulders. "What did you do?"

"There was a micro-stamp chip inside." she replies.

The doorman suddenly touches his ear as if being spoken to through an earpiece and then he looks over to Sherlock before beginning to walk over in their direction.

"Could you come inside please?" the doorman asks.

"Umm...no." Sherlock replies.

"Bye."John says.

"I was talking to the kid." the doorman informs them. Sophia looks at him and then over to Sherlock.

"Me? Why?"

"I don't know. Someone just wants to see you. Just passing on a message."

Sophia shrugs and makes her way to the door. "Adler. Come back here right now!" Sherlock orders her. She doesn't listen to him.

"Geronimo!" she says and makes her way inside. As soon as she's in the building someone grabs her and a gun is digging in to her side.

"Where is the micro-stamp chip? Answer me!"

"Tell me who your boss is and I might tell you." Sophia replies.

* * *

"Geronimo!" Sherlock hears Sophia say before making her way inside.

"Damn it!" Sherlock complains.

"She confuses me." John says. "She's looking for her mother's killer right but...I don't..."

"Excuse me a moment John." Sherlock replies, before making his way to the door.

"Password?" the doorman asks.

"I told you it when I went in the last time."

"It's changed."

"My...umm...well that girl that went in there is...well she's my...You need to let me inside!"

"I'm sorry. More than my job is worth." he replies.

Suddenly there's the sound of a gunshot and Sherlock's eyes widen.

* * *

"Tell me who your boss is and I might tell you." Sophia replies.

"How about I shoot you in the arm and drive a knife through your wound until you tell me?" questions her attack.

The next thing she hears is a gunshot.

"Sophia Adler. Are you alright?" she hears someone ask as she stares at the dead body of the man who had grabbed her.

"Who are you?" she asks, looking up to him.

"Your Uncle sent me to escort you back to school safely. I'm your bodyguard."

"Tell my uncle I do not need one." Sophia replies. She barges past him. "What's your name?"

He begins to follow her outside where Sherlock grabs her. Before Sherlock can question Sophia's new bodyguard grabs Sherlock and pins him on the ground.

"Lucien and I think you do." he says.

"What's going on?!" John asks.

"You should let him go. He's your employers brother." Sophia tells him. "So Lucien. Why do I need a bodyguard."

"Can I have the micro-stamp chip please?" Lucien asks her.

"No. I'm not stupid." Sophia replies. "I totally believe that you're my bodyguard."

She begins to walk away. "Adler!" Sherlock shouts as she walks down the street. "You come back. I want a word!"

"Sorry, cheekbones. Not today."

Lucien begins to follow her. "You don't believe that I'm your bodyguard?"

"No I don't." Sophia replies.

"Will you believe him?" Lucien asks, pointing to a black car turning around the corner.

"You had to tell him where I was didn't you?" Sophia inquires. "What's your interest in the micro thing?"

"Well I heard them ask you for it. Must be worth something." Lucien replies. The car stops and the door opens.

"Thank you for finding her Lucien. We've been worried." Mycroft says. "Sophia step inside, you must be freezing."

* * *

"She'll be going back to school now." Mycroft informs Sherlock, later on that day.

"Really?" Sherlock asks seeming uninterested. "Lovely."

"What interest is she to you, anyway?" John asks him.

"Well the very fact she's my niece, for a start."

"She's his daughter isn't she?" John asks.

"She doesn't seem to have the micro-stamp chip in her possession. Whatever it's worth is rather odd. Something so valuable is left on a windowsill in the same room that the sniper who killed Irene Adler, used as a camping point. Almost as if he needed it delivered by the person who'd look. Sophia. But Sophia found the chip. It's all rather strange and impulsive for both of you to go off to Chinatown to search for answers."

"I was trying to prevent a mess, rather than clean it up." tells Sherlock. "God knows what she would have done if she was on her own. What makes you think that she'll stay in her boarding school? Hmm? She'll runaway again and you'll have to go searching for her. And she's only got until the summer holidays."

"She's got a bodyguard to keep an eye on her. A lot of students in that place have one.. And I'll deal with the summer holidays."

"Oh I think he's more her prison keeper." Sherlock replies.

"Do I detect a problem with it, Sherlock?" Mycroft inquires with a raised eyebrow.

"Sherlock..." John begins.

"I'm saying...I'm not cleaning up _your _mess, Mycroft." Sherlock replies. "And you're creating a very big one."

"Oh am I? How is that?" Mycroft asks.

Sherlock turns around and doesn't answer him but begins to play God Save The Queen on his violin, causing Mycroft to roll his eyes and leave.

"She's your daughter?" John asks.

"Yes do keep up." Sherlock replies.

"Do you think she's really lost the chip?" John asks.

"She just doesn't have it in our possession." Sherlock replies, before pulling the chip out from his pocket. "She took her phone back and slipped this in my pocket."

"What's on it?" John asks.

"I have no idea." Sherlock replies. "But I'll give it to Mycroft when he's being less annoying."

"So you've got a daughter? How are we feeling about that?" John asks.

Sherlock doesn't answer and walks out of the room.

* * *

The Next Morning (Wednesday 6th July)

"Mathematics is the way." Lucien re-directs Sophia who is trying to bunk off to the library.

"The library is this way." Sophia says.

"Your first period class in mathematics not a study period." Lucien replies.

"Okay, then. Math it is. Allons-y."

"Allons-y?" inquires Lucien. "What's Allons-y?"

"It's French for let's go."

"But why say that instead of let's go?"

"You know if you asked me how many times I'd say that instead of let's go out of ten...I'd say eleven." Sophia tells him before opening up the door to math class. "Bye."

She really can't wait until the holidays.


	6. Chapter 6

"They found nothing on the microchip that you gave to your father." Lucien tells Sophia, on the morning that she's leaving the school for the holidays. They're outside and heading for the black car.

"Why would someone be willing to threaten me over it?" Sophia inquires.

"Or perhaps it's a message. Nothing to be done. Give up." Lucien answers her query. He opens the back door for her and she stands and pauses.

"From Moriarty? Or the sniper?" she ponders.

"Both, perhaps." Lucien replies. "I wouldn't worry over it. Just enjoy your summer holidays and maybe actually sleep at night."

She draws him a look before getting in to the car.

* * *

"What did you find on the chip?" Sherlock queries as soon Mycroft steps in to the living room. "It is why you're here isn't it?"

John looks up from his newspaper to see what's going on. "Nothing." Mycroft replies. "Something about it's not right. Almost as if they're trying to lay a message on or something."

"Which is?" John asks, earning a look from Sherlock.

"Stay out of it." Mycroft replies. "Or perhaps it was useless and that's why it was left."

Sherlock stands up from his chair and makes his way over to Mycroft, invading personal space. "They went out of there way to threaten a sixteen your old child who shouldn't have been in a casino legally in the first place, all because of this stamp shaped micro chip. Do you honestly think that there was nothing significant about it?"

Mycroft takes it out of his pocket in his waistcoat and gives it to Sherlock. "Perhaps just get on with what you usually do, then."

He walks to the door and then turns around. "Sherlock, she isn't a child."

"Nor is Miss Adler an adult." Sherlock replies.

"Miss Adler is no longer your concern." Mycroft tells him.

When Mcyroft's gone, Sherlock plays his violin in frustration until John finally speaks up. "Are you just going to take that?" John questions him.

Sherlock stop playing and looks at John, like a confused labrador. "What do you mean?" Sherlock's eyebrows frown and John looks at the door where Mycroft made an exit from and then back to Sherlock.

"Well Mycroft told you that your own daughter is none of your concern and you're just going to take that? Sherlock! She's your daughter! Are you trying to tell me that doesn't count for something?"

Sherlock laughs a little. "Should it?"

John looks at him as if he's committed a murder. "Oh John. I envy you. To let her count for something would be to fall in to sentiment and sentiment is a chemical defect found in the losing side."

"You can't win all the time." John reminds him. Sherlock looks taken aback. It's what Sophia had told him weeks ago, and it's what Irene had told him years ago.

"I can try!" he tells John.

"You should re-think your game plan!" John retorts before standing up and leaving. As soon as John is away, Sherlock receives a text message and he takes his phone out of his suit jacket pocket to read it.

**Did Mycroft give you back the chip? If he did can you run it under a uv light under the microscope, please? SA **

For a moment he decides not to reply but changes his mind.

**Yes. Maybe. SH **

He almost instantly gets a reply.

**Maybe? Come on! That's all you're going to say? Maybe?! SA **

He finds himself smirking.

**Considering the very fact that you did pull the cotton over my eyes more than once the last time I tried to help you, then maybe is promising for you. SH **

He waits for the reply, and suddenly becomes impatient when it reaches an interval of ten minutes, when he decides to text her.

**Fine, Miss Adler. I'll do it. You're welcome. SH **

A few seconds passes when he gets a reply.

**You've not done anything to be thanked for yet, have you Holmes? Now hurry up let me earn the You're welcome part! By the way it's pull the wool over someone's **

He looks at the screen unable to reply for a moment.

**You're impatient. And I don't care. SH **

* * *

Sophia sits in the back of the car and looks out of the window. "Where are were going?" Sophia asks.

"You're uncle's house." Lucien replies.

Sophia's phone goes off and she picks it up to check it.

**I checked it. An adequate suggestion Miss Adler. Under UV light under a microscope, I found the initials SM. SH **

Sophia bites her lip in thought before replying.

**Could it be a relation of Moriarty? SA**

**I'm not too sure. SH **

**Out of curiosity, your brother doesn't have one of those big huge country houses like Mr Darcy, does he? SA**

**I don't know who Mr Darcy is but he does have a huge country house. SH**

**A big huge house in the countryside. What if Dracula lives there too? Ah-well Geronimo! SA **

**Why do you say that? Geronimo? SH **

**I would tell you but you'd laugh at me. SA **

**I don't laugh at unamusing things. I don't assume that what you're about to say will be amusing. SH**

**Why are you interested? SA**

**I'm not interested. SH **

**Then why do you ask me? SA **

**Stop asking questions. You sound like your mother. SH **

Sophia looks at the last one and lets out a scoffing noise. "Something up?" Lucien asks.

"Nothing." Sophia replies. "Just talking to someone."

"Don't get despondent over the chip. We'll find out why your mother died. But you must leave it to us. Do you understand, Sophia?"

"Yes." she replies, lying through her teeth.

**I googled Geronimo and got some old leader person but then I put fantastic and allons-y in and apparently it's from Doctor Who. You're a Doctor Who fanatic! SH **

**Whovian. SA**

**Is that what you call yourselves? SH **

The car suddenly pulls up outside the huge old fashioned house. Sophia let's her mouth hang in awe.

**Goodbye, Mr Holmes. My journey has ended. Geronimo! **

"We're here." Lucien says.

" I can see that. Allons-y!" she replies, with a smile before getting out. "Why am I here, then?"

"He thinks he can keep an eye on you better. Don't worry he won't turn the router off at midnight but I do assume that you'll be expected to sleep. Perhaps you should. You can't live on coffee all the time."

"I can try." she replies.

**"**You're very persistent." Lucien tells her.

"For an SAS person you're quite outgoing." Sophia states.

"Do you assume us all to be silent all the time?"

"Or perhaps you're just being nice to me because you pity me. I can see it in your eyes. Well don't pity me. But you're intentions are honorable and I thank you for your honorable intentions."

"You remind me of my sister." Lucien tells her.

"Do I?" Sophia asks, as she picks up her luggage.

"She's dead." Lucien says.

Sophia stops in her tracks and turns around, a horrified look on her face. "Oh I'm so so sorry."

"You weren't to know. But she was stubborn like you and a terrorist killed our parents. She went after them. Ended up with a bullet in her head."

"What did you do?" Sophia asks.

"I found everyone person responsible for her death and gave them a painful one in return."

"And you expect me not to do the same thing for my mother?" Sophia retorts.

"My sister was twenty three when she sought her justice. Still too young." Lucien informs her. "Take a look in the mirror. At the moment your eyes look old but you're face is still that of a child. You're sixteen years old."

"You mean my eyes look older than the rest of me." Sophia suddenly says excited.

"Yes. But it's because you need rest."

"I'm a time-lord. I knew it."

"What's a time-lord?" asks Lucien.

"Nevermind." Sophia replies before walking up to the door. "So where is his majesty?"

"Not here at the moment. Go in and make yourself at home. His servants will probably take care of you. I'm going in to the ministry to talk about your security plan and any activities available in London for you to do."

"You expect me to leave the house?" Sophia asks. "Umm...why?"

"You're young."

"During the summer, I become allergic to the sun."

"Does it make you break out in sparkles?" Lucien replies.

Sophia looks at him as though he committed a crime worth capital punishment. "You know about twilight but you don't know about Doctor Who? I'm disgusted."

Lucien smiles. "It's famous because everyone hates it. Easily explained through the hate about it. You can't bring logic to Doctor Who."

"That's so very true actually and you're forgiven." Sophia replies. "Where can I connect up all my internet devices?"

"Just go and sit down in the living room." Lucien replies before leaving.


	7. Chapter 7

Sophia walks around the living room, before throwing herself in to the sofa. "Why can't I just go upstairs to my room?" she asks, Mycroft. Mycroft looks at her for a moment, pondering on a thought inside his head before taking a sip of his glass of brandy.

"Sophia Adler, you have intelligence. You shouldn't be at a computer all day." Mycroft replies to her, hoping it would get through to her that she's capable of more, and that she's wasting her mind away.

"One...who says I was going to go on one of my three computer? Second of all isn't that a little hypocritical coming from someone who has a group of computer geeks that do things...like hack and stuff. Like Q branch."

Mycroft doesn't reply and Sophia stands up once again and walks over to the window. "Just why am I here?" she asks him. "You could have sent me to boot camp or something. But you didn't. I mean..."

"After your performance with the security chip; I have decided to keep an eye on you." Mycroft answers her question.

"I wanted to...I wanted to find out who killed my mother. Would you have done the same?" she asks before turning around to face him.

"Maybe I'm not the right person to ask that question." Mycroft remarks.

"Why not? You loved your mother didn't you?" Sophia asks.

"I did." Mycroft says with a sad smile. "Although according to your father...maybe not enough."

"Don't listen to him. He's just stupid, self absorbed, self righteous and big headed. Everything revolves around him and his feelings. Don't let him tell you how you feel."

Mycroft snickers.

"What?" Sophia asks.

"You're like your mother. Only you have bits of your father in you as well."

"Does he have to be my father?" Sophia inquires.

Mycroft smiles once again. "I'm afraid that's something I can't control, Sophia." he tells her grimly.

"Why did you really decided to take responsibility for me? Don't tell me it was because I was a danger. Sherlock Holmes brings danger anyway."

"Because you're my niece." Mycroft replies. "And when your mother took you away from my brother...I lost all privileges as an Uncle."

"So it's genuine concern and stuff."

"I was once told by Mrs Hudson that family is all we have in the end. You're the last Adler. Sherlock and I are the last Holmes. Well you're a Holmes as well."

"I feel like The Doctor even more now." Sophia says before sitting on the windowsill. "I don't think Sherlock Holmes is a bad person. He's not mean."

"No he isn't a bad person...he...just..."

"Makes some bad choices. I have read what people have said about him online. Freak. Sociopath. No heart. Things like that. I saw his eyes...he has a sort of sadness and I feel sorry for him a bit."

Mycroft looks at her in surprise.

Suddenly she stands up. "I think I'll take a walk in the grounds...Never thought I would say that at any given point in my life."

"Don't forget to take a coat." Mycroft reminds her.

"Why would I need a coat? It's not that cold and it's only outside."

He just smiles and she walks away.

* * *

Sherlock makes his way under the yellow tape at the latest crime scene, with John at his side. "Sherlock. Glad you could make it." Lestrade says.

"Where is it?" Sherlock asks.

"Her." John reminds, Sherlock.

"Yes. Where is the female's dead body?" Sherlock asks Lestrade.

"A little bit of diplomacy and decorum would be appreciated. Remember her parents are in a bad state just now."

"Why do they have to be here?" Sherlock inquires. "If it upsets them..."

"Once you have kids of your own...if you have kids of your own, you'd understand." Lestrade replies.

John looks away and Sherlock breathes out. "It's this way." Lestrade says, leading Sherlock to a tent where the body is.

"She's wearing medieval clothing." John states.

"Excellent observation, John. Truly astounding." Sherlock says.

* * *

In the morning Sophia wakes up and go es downstairs to pour herself a cup of coffee. She turns the television on and looks at the news. "A seventeen year old girl was found dead in a park, in Central London." Mycroft tells her, walking in to the kitchen. "Nothing interesting."

"Is that him?" Sophia asks, pointing to the television.

"We have people who serve you coffee if you'd like it. They will be here in ten minutes." Mycroft tells her.

"I prefer making my own. Don't know who could be poisoning you." she remarks. "Is that him? Sherlock Holmes, working a crime scene."

"Yes. It's him." Mycroft tells her. "I have to go in to the office. If you want to go anywhere, call Lucien."

"Yes, Uncle Mycroft." Sophia replies.

He leaves and Sophia makes her way to the living room and sits down on the sofa. She begins to stare in to space very quietly, not paying attention to the world around her. That's when her phone's text alert goes off and makes her almost jump out of her skin.

She takes a deep breath, and let's her heart race for a moment, before reaching in to her pocket and reading the text message.

**Baker Street. Come at once if convenient. SH **

Sophia looks at it and frowns. "Emm, no way Mr Cheekbones." she says aloud. "If you think I'm to be just called over at your beck and call, you've got another thing coming."

She gets up and her phone goes off again. With a sigh she picks it up again and walks to the window with it in her hand.

**If inconvenient come anyway. SH **

Then it goes off again.

**Could be dangerous. SH **

She finally sends her reply.

**All the more reason I shouldn't come. SA **

She goes to throw it on the sofa, thinking she's ended it. But it goes off once again before she can.

**There's a bunch of people killing geeks. Like your kind of geeks. I need your help and expertise. SH **

She looks at it and thinks for a moment before replying.

**I am on my way. SA**

She runs upstairs and gets her satchel, and throws her mobile, a notepad and some money in to it. "I am the most crazy person on the planet."

With that she dashes out.


	8. Chapter 8

Sophia walks through a shopping centre and pretends to window shop. "Aren't you going to look inside any of them?" Lucien asks her. She pretends not to hear him and acts as though her attention is being given to a blue lamp. She's trying to find the perfect point to lose Lucien, and get away to Baker Street. Getting driven to London was the only way she could get there from Mycroft's house.

She turns around, deliberately placing a thoughtful look on her face. "Do you think that lamp would look nice in my dorm room for when I go back to school?" she inquires.

Her phone goes off and she reads her recent text message.

**Where are you? There's been another one. SH **

"Who is texting you?" Lucien asks.

"Oh it's just twitter. Found another James Bond fan. We both want to know when the new one is coming out. I mean Quantum of Solace...I need another one honestly."

Lucien draws her a look.

"Sorry. This is why I have blogs and twitter. So I can talk to people just like me."

"I didn't think that would be possible." Lucien remarks, quietly.

She puts her hands on her hips and draws him a derisive glance. "I'll be back in a minute." she informs him.

"Where are you going?" he asks.

"Well I just had a jumbo sized cola from the restaurant. Where do you think I'm going?" she replies. "Just wait here."

He rolls his eyes. "Well you've got five minutes. Or I'm sending in a search party."

It's her turn to roll her eyes. Now she's only got five minutes to get away. She takes her phone out and texts Sherlock.

**I'm trying to get away but it's difficult. Why do you need me anyway? SA**

As she disappears in to the crowd and looks for the nearest exit, her phone goes off again. This time it's a picture message.

**This is a photo of the body at the crime scene. In her possession was a leaflet for a con of some sort. Magically Geeky Con. SH**

Sophia looks at the photo before texting back. She knows what con he's talking about but she's more interested in the girl.

**That's Morganna. Well she's dressed as Morganna, from Merlin. How did the girl die? SA**

**She was poisoned. SH**

Sophia blinks.

**So was Morganna. But she never died from it. Hemlock I think it was. SA**

Finally Sophia manages to get outside, and she jumps in to a taxi. "She pulls her mobile from her pocket and scrolls down to Lucien's number in the phonebook so she can text him.

**I got bored. I'm heading off to something much fun. I didn't want you standing around waiting for nothing. Thanks for the ride to London. SA**

A text from Sherlock comes through suddenly. He's telling her to meet her in an alleyway. She tells the driver where to go and heads off.

* * *

Sherlock examines the latest body. "Easy to tell this one." John says. "Stabbed in the back. Leaflet in his pocket for the same sort of con thing."

"Why are they called cons?" Sherlock asks John.

"I've no idea. I've heard of Dragon Con, Comic Con, and other ones but I don't know why they are called cons."

"Let me through!" Sherlock suddenly hears Sophia's voice says.

"She's with me, let her in!" Sherlock shouts to Lestrade.

"What?!" Lestrade asks. "Wait a minute...she really is your daughter then? So what I said to you the other night there...you do..."

"And?" Sherlock asks. "She's one of these victims. They both like...geek things. Just let her in. She's helping me."

"Let her through." Lestrade orders.

John turns to Lestrade a little hurt that Lestrade knew this. "You knew and..."

"I thought it was all a bit of a bad joke or something." he replies. "So she really is?"

"Apparently. Not that he's accepting it." John replies.

Sophia is allowed under the tape and Donovan, Lestrade sergeant steps in front of her. "How do you know freak?"

"Do you normally talk about yourself in the third person?" Sophia questions her, causing Sally to look on unable to utter a word out of her now gaping mouth.

"Adler!" Sherlock shouts.

Sophia runs over to Sherlock and folds her arms. "The place is clean." Sherlock says. "Apart from blood. Nothing from the killer. This is getting fun, isn't it?"

"Sherlock there's a teenage boy lying dead. Have some respect." John reminds him.

"He went to one of these con things. Same one." Sherlock tells her.

Sophia's face lights up. "I've been invited to all the ones they're holding in London. It's not brand con. It's one that other people have set up. More a gathering than con. None of the actors or actresses are going to come and give out autographs and Q and A sessions."

"You've been invited?" Sherlock asks.

"Well anyone who likes Merlin, Doctor Who, Supernatural, Harry Potter, Charmed, The Big..."

"Alright that's enough." Sherlock stops her.

"What does con stand for? Is there like..." begins John.

Sophia laughs. "Convention."

"So who is he dressed up as?" Sherlock asks, pointing to the body.

Sophia kneels down and tuts. "What?" Sherlock inquires.

"It's cosplay." Sophia says.

John snorts.

"Not to be confused with the other kind." Sophia says.

"What other kind?" Sherlock asks.

"It's wonder I was even conceived." Sophia replies before turning to John. "Good job I didn't mention fandom roleplaying."

"I don't even want to know." John replies.

"It's basically when you take on the role of one of your favorite characters and like them through email, twitter and so on and so forth and you act like them. Like cosplaying...only over the internet."

"Who is he?" Sherlock asks.

"I don't know who he is. I know that he's cosplaying or was cosplaying as Sam Winchester from Supernatural."

"How did he die?" Sherlock asks her.

Sophia laughs. "Let's not ask that question because there's a long list but the first time he died...because he was stabbed in the back."

"When is the next con-convention thing?" Sherlock asks.

"Tonight. Every night." Sophia says. "All in different locations right enough."

"Are we going?" John asks.

"Oh, Miss Adler is." Sherlock replies.

"I can't. I'm not allowed anywhere without a body guard and I have a curfew." she replies.

"You're not letting her go to this convention!" John says firmly. "Not when people are dying. Sophia, sweetheart... you need to go to Lestrade and you need to tell him when these are taking place."

"That should remedy the problem. Shouldn't it?" Sophia asks both of them.

"Yes." says John at the same time Sherlock says. "Don't be stupid."

"Sherlock she's not going." John says.

"Yes she is!" Sherlock replies.

"Detective Lestrade!" Sophia shouts. Lestrade comes over, rolling his eyes. "Detective. I know when these cons are going on and I would be happy to tell you, and might I also suggest that you put cameras etc in place before they begin. If you can get a warrant that is."

"Adler!" Sherlock utters seethingly.

John pats her shoulder. "Good girl." he says with a smile.

* * *

"You do realise that she only did what you told her to do to spite me!?" Sherlock questions the army doctor when they are back in Baker Street.

"I am still here you know." Sophia says.

"Miss Adler kindly refrain from ruining my murder investigation." Sherlock shouts.

"You're like a nine year old refusing to share with his younger brother or sister!" Sherlock hears Sophia say.

"She has a point." John says when they are in the living room and Sherlock is sitting in his chair, sulking.

Sophia snorts suddenly. "To think that this the greatest detective of the century! Here he is sulking away like a child who has lost his lollipop!"

"You sound like your mother." Sherlock replies, abruptly standing so he is inches away from Sophia.

"Oh and now the little boy is feeling threatened so he's trying to intimidate me. It doesn't work. But if it makes him feel any happier then I'm going to the con tonight. Not because you want me to but I want to go because now I have an idea who I can cosplay as. I've finally made a decision and no I will not be helping you. Good afternoon, Mr Holmes. I think I'll go home and sort out a few things."

"You're the most insufferable human being that I have ever seen!" Sherlock shouts.

"Funny enough I was thinking the same thing about you." Sophia remarks. She looks over to John and nods. "Good afternoon, Dr Watson."

"John is fine." John replies.

When Sophia is gone, John turns to him and shakes his head. "Do you even care?" John inquires. "In fact don't answer that...I don't think I could handle either one."

John leaves the living room and goes to his room, leaving Sherlock fuming.


	9. Chapter 9

Lucien gave Sophia the riot act as soon as she turned up at Mycroft's office to go home. Not that Sophia cared. Now she stands, looking in the mirror as she fixes her tie. When she's happy she put on one pair out of her many collection of converse and heads downstairs, flipping what looks like a pen - which is actually her sonic screwdriver - and then catching it, before putting it in her pocket.

"So you're going to this convention, then?" Mycroft asks her. "To help my brother?"

Sophia scoffs at the idea. "I'm merely assisting Detective Inspector Lestrade. They can't go in there, but I can. Because I've been invited and because I'm like the people who go there, only much more intelligent."

"What are you wearing?" Mycroft asks her.

"It's the pinstriped suit worn by The Tenth Doctor, also known as David Tennant. And that looks like the good inspector right now. So I must go. Allons-y."

Before Sophia can leave Mycroft sits his paper down and asks her something. "Are you sure you're doing it for Detective Inspector Lestrade? Perhaps subconsciously you're doing it because you want to either impress or irritate Sherlock Holmes."

"What have I got to impress that idiot with?" she replies before heading outside.

* * *

Sophia looks around the room and smiles as she does. "FemTen then?" someone asks her. She turns around and nods.

"Yep." she replies to the elder teenager. "Couldn't be bothered cutting my hair though. And I probably wouldn't look nice with short hair. Not that I look nice with long hair."

"I am surprised there's still a lot of people here. What with the recent murders. Two of the people that came to our con."

"Well I'm safe. I'll just regenerate. Providing someone doesn't interrupt my regeneration cycle."

"Ha. I never saw you the last two times it was on."

"No, I umm...had trouble with the suit. Had to sew it. And stuff. Then I had to find my sonic screwdriver and it wouldn't do to turn up to a convention without a cosplay. Would it? I mean like...would it?"

"What's your name?" he asks.

"Joan Smith." she replies.

"Good one. I'll remember you Joan Smith." he replies. "But really what's your name?"

"Sophia." she replies and he walks away.

* * *

Sophia wakes up the next morning to her phone ringing, playing the James Bond theme. She answers it with a tired "hello."

"Adler. There's been another one." says Sherlock's voice. "He was at the convention last night but nothing to indicate anyone was interested in him or not. He was killed with a Katana. I'm sending you a photo. I need you tell me what he's a fan of."

"Why should I help you?" Sophia asks, bitterly. "I mean it's not as if you help me."

She gets up and begins to pick out clothes to wear; a pair of denim jeans and a blank tank shirt.

"It's not always about you, you know and you're nothing but a sixteen year old who has nothing to do all day but go to school or sit at a computer or television. I'm doing what I"m capable of and solving crime."

"You wanted nothing to do with me before and now it's...I'll ask Sophia for help. Assistance. Give me one reason why I should?"

Because you're currently picking clothes to wear. I could hear you sliding the door. Mycroft still hasn't fixed it. That wardrobe has always been the same, ever since I was in that room."

"This is your room?" Sophia asks.

"Of course it was my room. It's not anymore."

"Well of course it's not your room anymore, it's mine." she replies.

"You speak the same language as the victims and the murderer." Sherlock replies.

"Look...I'm going to go downstairs and get some coffee and I'll think about looking at the photo you just sent me. Good morning, Mr Holmes."

She ends the call and sighs.

Half an hour later she is heading downstairs and to the kitchen. "Already made you a cup." a familiar voice says, putting a cup of coffee in her hands.

"Holmes!" Sophia says.

"Adler."

"Why are you here?" she inquires.

He takes her phone from her coffee free hand and loads up the photo he sent her. "Who is he acting as?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki. From the anime, bleach. He didn't die at all."

"But something happened to him that should have killed him, though?"

"Many things." Sophia replies.

"But the first one! Ever. That's possible by someone in real life."

"He was run through with a Zanpakuto...that gave him powers."

"In the real world that would kill someone. What's a Zanpakuto?"

"They usually resemble Katanas." Sophia replies. "Like how he died."

"Did you seem him at the convention?" Sherlock asks, leading her to the living room. He sits her down and puts his hands on her shoulders. "Now think...did you see him?"

"The cameras Lestrade had in place..."

"No. YOU. Did you?" Sherlock inquires.

"I'm sorry. I saw a lot of people. I can't remember them all!" Sophia replies. "Just because I'm smarter than most, does not mean I have complete memory. I was more interested in looking for people who looked suspicious and crazy."

"And?"

"Everyone. Well not suspicious but crazy yes."

"A lot of help you are!" Sherlock says before storming over to the window.

"Then perhaps you're wasting your time, here!" Sophia replies.

"The murderer leaves no forensic evidence...at all..."

"And? What am I meant to do about it? Why are you even here? If my help is so useless..."

Sherlock remains quiet and sits down. "Ah, I see you've found your way back Sherlock." Mycroft says as he walks into the living room.

"And we're remaining silent." Mycroft states as he sits down.

"Got a taxi?" Sophia asks, Sherlock.

"Yes." he replies.

"I'm surprised you don't run out of money." she replies.

"Any particular reason for your visit, Sherlock?" Mycroft asks.

"Will you be going to the convention, tonight?" Sherlock asks, Sophia and ignoring Mycroft.

"No. I won't be. Why don't you go to Baker Street and sulk." She stands up and points to the door. "Perhaps you should leave."

"Fine then. I'll leave. That's the last time I ask you for help." Sherlock says, when he gets to the door.

"After the way you've acted, I don't think I'll ever feel sad without your need of my assistance." Sophia remarks.

When Sherlock is gone, Sophia sits down and clenches her fists. "Have you had breakfast?" Mycroft asks her.

"I'm going out." Sophia says.

"Do you want me to phone Lucien?" Mycroft asks.

"No. I am going out...on my own. I need to. I have to be on my own. I need to be on my own. Away from people." Sophia replies. "I'm just going to...go."

"Sophia...at least let me call someone to drive you wherever you're going."

She nods and then sits down again.

* * *

Sophia carries her satchel with her as she makes her way through the shopping centre she was in the day before. She finds somewhere to sit and just stay there for a while, looking into space. Before she left, she changed in to her tenth Doctor suit, just incase she had to go straight to the convention. She was going, she just lied to Sherlock.

"Hello." a voice says. Sophia looks up to see John. By this time she's not feeling very well so her smile is short lived.

"Dr Watson." she utters, before moving over a little so he can sit down.

"John." John reminds her.

"Yes of course. I'm sorry. I'm not good at socialites. Only person I really ever got on with was my mother and if I had any friends they were online and so you'd go by their usernames."

"Are you okay?" John asks her.

"I don't know what I am right now." Sophia admits. "Except for feeling sick, feeling tired, feeling horrible, angry, and the worst of it is...I don't know what to do."

"You wouldn't think with the way you just walk about and brave it out."

"So you in getting shopping?" Sophia asks, changing the subject.

"Just thought I'd pop in and window shop." John replies. "Sophia. I know it's hard for you and that things have been happening that have been out of your control. People are telling you what to do, and some people aren't accepting you...and if you ever need someone to talk to...I"m here."

"I just need someone who'll bring her back, John."

She stands up. "I'm going to go out for some air. I"m not feeling good." she tells him. She's beginning to realise the dull pain in her right side of her abdomen. When they had started during the convention, she thought they were muscle pains from all the running about she'd been doing, but now she was feeling terrible.

"Sophia." John shouts. "Are you going to come back?"

"Maybe. I don't know." she replies. She doesn't even have the heart to say Allons-y.

She's walking outside down to the car park, to find a quiet spot, and then suddenly the next moment she's waking up on a high building, looking and shivering with the cold. It's late at night. She stands up and looks at the skyline of London.

"Hello, Sophia." a voice says. She turns around to see the guy she'd seen at the convention. "You were easy to drug, you know. In your cola at the shopping centre. You were already, not feeling well. You're starting to get a temperature. Just like The Doctor did when he'd regenerated from ten to nine."

"Ten died from radiation. You've got none here and before that it was..."

"You forget that he got his hand cut off." the guy replies. He picks up a sword from the ground. "You should have thought about this more carefully. Will they even get to you in time?"

"I'm warning you...I have self defense training and I have a bodyguard...and he'll probably find me."

"I dumped your phone in a bin. Not to mention, you're too weak to move and you're wincing in pain. You've probably got appendicitis."

"You know what...kill me if you want. I don't care!" Sophia replies. "I really don't care. My life is at rock bottom. You'd be doing me a massive favor!"

"They'll find your hand on the road you know. Then they'll probably come looking up here. Won't they Sophia?"

"I'm not frightened. If that's what you're trying to do."

He swings the sword and then makes his way over to her. "Out of curiosity...why me?"

"I choose the smart ones. Alexandra Dawson. Timothy Smith. Larson Simm. All of them were straight A-students."

"How would you know that?" Sophia asks.

"Internet. You're all on my list of invites. Your full name. I looked you up too, Sophia Adler. John Watson's blog...Oh I almost jumped for joy when I realised that you were friends with someone who knew a detective. The Consulting Detective, Sherlock Holmes. He's meant to be a genius. So I look at this and then I realise that you're more than just a friend of friend. You're the daughter of a genius."

"I am not his daughter. Ask him." Sophia replies. "Or how about I role over the edge of this roof and foil your plan?Failed."

She holds her abdomen. She feels worse. She's in extreme pain. "He'll find out it's you. I know he will. Sherlock Holmes. He'll get you, in the end."

"I think he'll try when I kill his daughter."

"I'm not his daughter. He doesn't want me, you idiot. But you know what...let's make things fair. When you try to kill me, do it like it really happened. In a sword fight."

"You're not fit enough to win." he says.

"Then you'll have nothing to worry about." Sophia replies. "Do you have another one?"

"I'm glad you're smart enough to think of that, Sophia. I brought another one just in case."

He walks over to the other side of the roof and then tosses her the other one, which she catches at the hilt. "Very good." he says.

She swallows and stands up. She's never held a sword before. "Anything to say now, that you know you're only delaying your fate?"

"Oh...yeah...umm...GERONIMO!"

He attacks first and she just holds her sword up and hopes for the best, blocking it. Her fight is clumsy and eventually she falls over. She tries to trip him but he moves out of the way and then put his foot on to her torso to keep her in place. Then he raises the sword, getting read to quickly make one movement that will cut Sophia's right hand off.


	10. Chapter 10

She closes her eyes as the sword swings downwards. When she opens them again, she in a hospital room. "Hey." a voice says to her. It's John.

"John. What's going on?" she asks, before sitting up right and checking to see if she still has both of her hands.

"You're alright now. Don't you remember what happened?" he asks her.

She shakes her head. "No. I don't remember. I was walking outside for some air because I wasn't feeling well and then the next minute I woke up on some roof and I was in a sword fight...and then I don't remember anything after that. Maybe I passed out or something? Did I pass out. What happened John?! I never not know..."

She begins to ramble on in different languages and John can't calm her down, desperately he ends up turning to the person who is just standing in the door way. "Sherlock..." he utters. Sherlock walks in and puts both hands on her shoulders.

"Adler." he says sharply. "You're alright now. You're safe." he tells her. "You didn't lose consciousness but you went absolutely delirious. John and I got to you in time. You're fine."

She swallows because he is actually looking at her with genuine concern. It's frightening her. "You had a high temperature. You had a grumbling appendix that was probably going on for a while, and then your temperature spiked."

"So you had to get your appendix removed. You're alright, you just need to rest." John tells her.

"Sherlock. Dr Watson." a familiar voice speaks. Sophia look up to see Mycroft and Sherlock takes his hands away from Sophia's shoulders before moving over to the window.

"Sophia, are you alright?" Mycroft asks her.

"I think so." she replies. "What happened to the guy from the convention? The one who was going about killing people."

"Jackson Pond. No longer an issue." says Sherlock.

"Oh he's got a few broken bones." John says. "Fell down the stairs on his way down to the police car. Was trying to runaway before Detective Inspector Lestrade got by the first floor."

"Terrible shame." muses Sherlock. "No need to worry, Burden."

"Burden?" Sophia questions.

"That's what I'm calling you from now. Burden." Sherlock replies. "John. I do believe Lestrade wants to speak to us."

When they are gone Sophia sighs and turns to Mycroft. "Did you guys find my phone?"

"Yes we did. I took the liberty of getting Anthea to get a new phone case for you once it was fished out of the waste bin."

"Did he...you know...save me?" Sophia asks.

"Yes, Sophia. He did." Mycroft replies.

"That was nice of him."

Mycroft smiles. "I just popped by to check your health was back in order. I'll send Lucien to take you home later. Or take you anywhere you must go but I have no doubt that you'll be wanting to go straight home to rest."

"Depends how I'm feeling later." she says, honestly.

* * *

**Later on that day...**

"You know you should admit it." John says to Sherlock who is playing his violin. "You were worried about her."

"Does it matter?" Sherlock asks.

"Well I think it does." John replies. "You at least care about her enough to not want her to die."

"I never wanted her to die." Sherlock tells him.

"Do you dislike her or something?"

"Must I really answer this?" Sherlock asks, finally stopping his violin playing. The door bell rings, suddenly.

"I'll get it." John says. He gets up and makes his way downstairs. When he answers the door it's Sophia. She's holding a paper bag.

"Could I come in? I mean I totally understand if not..."

"Come in!" John says, cheerfully. "Head up."

She reaches the living room and Sherlock turns to face her. "What do I owe the honor of your presence?"

"I bought you both a gift. Thank you. For saving me."

She opens up the bag and pulls out a small tin. "It's violin resin." she says.

"I can see that." Sherlock says, bitterly.

"Sherlock!" John scolds him.

"Thank you." Sherlock says.

"I bought you a watch." she says to John, handing him the new watch.

"You didn't have to get us anything." John says.

"What else am I going to spend all this inheritance money on?" she asks.

"Thanks." John replies, before his phone begins to ring. He answers it and walks out of the room.

"You told me you weren't going to go to the convention!" Sherlock suddenly says.

"I lied."

"Obviously."

"Can you blame me? You pissed me off so much. Wouldn't you have done the same with someone you dislike? Wait...I don't dislike you..."

"You don't?" Sherlock asks, surprised.

"I just think you're a pompous know it all." Sophia replies, causing Sherlock to chuckle. "But I don't dislike you. I think it's good that you've got a hobby. Crime solving is a good idea. I prefer being a geek and stuff...playing chess and reading and watching..."

"I play chess. I'm not a geek." Sherlock replies.

"Of course you're not." Sophia replies. "You know I'm just going to go now. I have given you your resin."

"I have a chessboard." Sherlock says when she gets to the door.

"That's nice." Sophia says, turning around. "I have got a Harry Potter style one at home."

"Harry what?" he asks. "Never mind...would you like to play?"

"What here? Now?"

"Why not?"

"Yes. But I will beat you." she replies.

"Of course you won't."

"But I will."

"We'll soon see about that Burden."

John wanders in after his phone call to find, Sophia and Sherlock playing chess. He smiles. "That was Sarah. She's going a way for a couple of days. How is everyone?"

"Concentrating." Sherlock says.

Sophia just shrugs and John heads off to the kitchen. "Please tell me we have something in. I'm starving."

"I'm afraid not." Sherlock replies.

"Ever heard of online shopping, Sherlock? You should totally try it." Sophia tells him.

"Would save you walking down to the shops, which you hate doing, Sherlock." John adds.

"Check-mate." Sophia says, cheerfully.

"You put me in to a trap. That wasn't fair." Sherlock says.

"Life's not fair." she replies. "I'm going to go now. Was nice talking to you both."

Sherlock scoffs when she leaves the room.

"OK then." John utters. "I'll go and get the shopping."


	11. Chapter 11

Sophia makes her way up to her room to close the door behind her and make her way over to her bed, which has never before seemed so welcoming in her entire lift. Usually she avoids sleep but she can't. She's too exhausted, mentally and physically. She takes the time to read John's blog to see if the case they've just done has come up but it hasn't. The Speckled Blonde and the Geek Interpreter are the only ones there. This is when she realizes she should have suggested names to John for the entry title. As she lies looking at the ceiling, however she can't think of any so she closes her eyes, and eventually she drifts off in to a sleep. When she wakes up it's because she hears something drop on the floor a few feet from her and she wakes up ready to fight off any thief, attacker or alien. It's only Sherlock. He waltzes over and puts both hands on her shoulder. "I didn't mean to wake you up." he explains. "Mycroft is away to America and he's asked me to baby sit you. He says he would have asked John first but John's not answering his phone. You can imagine he's with Sarah."

"I don't think I want to imagine him with Sarah." Sophia replies. He just looks at her with a puzzled expression.

"He says he doesn't want to trouble Lucien with you for any great length of time, unless urgent. Naturally I was called. I said perhaps. But here I am anyway. So you're coming to Baker Street for a while." he continues to explain.

"Why?" Sophia asks, curiously. "Can't you just leave me here? I mean I would have to get out of my pajamas and in to my casuals and..."

"You're in your casual clothing." Sherlock tells her. "Clearly not awake."

She rubs the tiredness from her eyes. "Dad...I mean Sherlock. Sorry."

"It doesn't matter what you call me." he says, blandly.

"Well umm...what did you drop?"

"Just your chess set. Is that Parry Hotter, one?" he asks.

"Harry Potter." she corrects him. "Is it broke?"

"No." he replies. "Come on Burden. I'm sacrificing peace and quiet to baby-sit. I hope you're pleased with yourself. Don't waste my time, as well."

"Fine. But I get to choose what we watch on television."

* * *

"What is this?" Sherlock asks.

"The Big Bang Theory." Sophia replies. "I'm putting Doctor Who on in a minute anyway."

"Why?"

"Three episodes of Big Bang Theory. Then three episodes of Doctor Who and then sleep. You don't have to watch."

"Nothing else to do. Bored!" he says before standing up.

Throughout the third episode of Doctor Who that they're watching, Sophia falls asleep. "Charles Dickens...surrounded by ghosts at Christmas..." Sherlock starts.

Sherlock turns to Sophia and notices her sleeping. He makes his way over to where his coat is and then he takes it over to the sofa to put it around her. "Goodnight, Burden." he says before switching off the tv.

* * *

As soon as Sophia wakes up in the morning, she scolds herself for sleeping through Doctor Who. She gets up and heads off to the fridge to find something to drink, and eat. But she remembers that Sherlock keeps his experiments in there and she decides it's better to change in to cleaner clothes and go out for breakfast.

* * *

After breakfast she decides to go for a walk for a while to try and wake herself up. She's even more tired than before. "Where are you going?" Sherlock's voice asks, putting a hand on her shoulder. She hates it when he does that. It always startles her.

"I will kill you next time you do that." she warns him seriously.

"You're meant to tell me if you're going somewhere. Isn't that what people do?"

"I don't know. Sophia replies. "You're being really nice me to me. Why?"

"I"m not being _really _nice to you." Sherlock replies. "Just don't want you attention seeking that's all."

"How long did Uncle Mycroft say he was going to be away for?"

"Who is your favorite, me or Mycroft?" Sherlock replies.

"You didn't answer my question."

"You didn't answer mine!"

"I'm not answering that."

"I'm not answering yours."

"I'll ask Anthea."

"Do what you want." Sherlock replies.

* * *

In the afternoon John comes home to find Sophia explaining Doctor Who to Sherlock. "Sophia! What are you doing here?" John asks.

"Emm...I can go if you want me to." Sophia replies.

"No! Just wasn't expecting to see you."

"Mycroft left me to supervise the child." Sherlock tells him.

"You sure it wasn't the other way around?" John asks, looking at Sherlock patronizingly.

Sophia laughs, suddenly and stands up. "You know...I'm hungry."

"Actually...so am I." John inputs.

"I suppose you'll be wanting Chinese?" Sherlock asks John.

"I'm sick of Chinese." John replies. "It's all we eat."

"Why don't we go to KFC?" Sophia suggests.

"That's a good idea." John replies. "Not been in a while."

"KF...what?" Sherlock asks.

"Kentucky Fried Chicken."

"Just tea for me thanks." Sherlock replies.

John and Sophia shrug. "Well KFC for us, then." John says.

"I'll get my purse." Sophia says cheerfully.

When they are gone, Sherlock makes his way to the table where Sophia's locket is, that used to be her mother's. He opens it up and see that his picture is in there, as well as Sophia's. It makes him swallow and he sits it back down. He doesn't know how much longer he can deny his previously felt feelings for Irene. He can't deny that she cared about him, and there's not even the possibility of there being doubt that she loved her daughter as much - perhaps more. Now all Sophia had, was him, John and Mycroft. The latter fact dawned on him when he burst open the roof door in the nick of time to tackle Jackson Pond to the ground. The idea that he cared for her sunk in when the bastard didn't make it to Lestrade without major bruising and some broken bones all over his body. But the fact he cared about her, put both her and him at the threat. Now he doesn't know what to do.


	12. Chapter 12

John makes his way in to the living room the following morning to find that Sophia and Sherlock are both reading in both chairs.

"Morning." John greets them.

"Afternoon." Sophia replies.

"It's not afternoon it's still morning." Sherlock states.

"I've been up since four o'clock, this is afternoon for me." she replies.

"Sherlock. Sophia. You guys doing anything at the weekend?" John asks.

"Why?" Sophia asks.

"Depends." Sherlock replies.

"Sarah and I are going to a party. There is young people and older people there. You should come, Sophia. Someone's eighteenth."

Sophia looks up. "I don't think I want to go." Sophia replies. "Saturday is...well Saturday and the day before Sunday. Do you know what I do on a Sunday?"

"What?" John asks.

"Nothing." Sophia replies. "Absolutely nothing."

"I'm not going because I have an experiment." Sherlock replies.

"On second thoughts, I might possibly come." Sophia replies. "What kind of party is it?"

"Birthday."

"Yeah you said someone's eighteenth. That's the celebration but what genre?"

"It's in a club." John replies.

She sighs. "Is it fancy dress?"

"Actually I was just about to say that." John replies.

"Lovely." Sophia replies. "I have an array of different ideas."

"You're dressing up as The Doctor again aren't you?" John and Sherlock ask in unison.

"Not the tenth because the suits still in the dry cleaners. Maybe the eleventh." Sophia replies.

"What are you reading?" John asks.

"The Oxford Dictionary. I'm trying to maximize my vocabulary."

"So you're going to come with me and Sarah then?" John asks.

"Sure. What time?"

"Six to three am." John replies. "That is alright with you Sherlock, right? I can send her home in a taxi earlier."

"It's not up to me." Sherlock replies.

"Sherlock are you reading a theasauras?" John asks.

"Do you want to swap, it's been forty five minutes." Sophia asks, Sherlock.

"Yes." Sherlock replies.

* * *

When John and Sophia get to the club, they're instantly greeted by Sarah. "John." she utters with a smile before hugging him.

"This is Sophia." John introduces them.

"Hello, how do you do?" Sophia replies. "John's told me all about you."

There's a moment of silence.

"Which is why I'm glad to meet you because you're awesome. John's come to this party as a roman. It was my idea. Just like Rory the Roman from Doctor Who. The last centurion. Oh and you're...Miss Congeniality. I love that film with, Sandra Bullock. It's funny."

"I told you she was quirky." John adds with a laugh.

They go inside and someone offers Sophia a glass with green liquid in it. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Does it taste nice?" Sophia asks.

"Feel free to take a glass and get rid of it if you don't like it. Drinks are all free." the server says.

"Thanks." Sophia says.

* * *

Sophia pulls someone over. "Hey what's this stuff called? The green stuff. It's really good. I don't know what it's called and I hate having to find those waiter people who bring you it on the tray."

"Midori." is the reply before they walk away. Sophia shrugs and goes up to the bar.

"Hey, Sophia. Do you want a pepsi or something?" John asks her.

"No I'll have more Midori."

John's eyes widen. "Umm, Sophia..."

"One more glass of Midori please!" Sophia interupts, loudly. "Thank you!"

"Don't you ID people in here?" John asks the bartender.

"She's eighteen right?"

"Why do they need my...my...what do you cal it for..."

She just bursts out laughing for no reason. "Oh wait!"  
She pulls out black wallet and opens it to reveal blank paper.

"It's blank." John says, taking her glass away before she can drink it. "And you're drunk."

"It can't be blank. It's psychic paper. You must have no imagination...Hey you know what's cool?"

"What?" John asks, perturbed.

"Bow-ties. John...how am I drunk?"

Someone bumps in to her and John and they get split up in the crowd. "John...John..." Sophia says. She shrugs and begins to feel a little ill. "I'm going outside for a walk...I don't feel good."

She walks outside and falls over. "I'm really turning in to the eleventh doctor aren't I?" she asks herself allowed. She stands up and continues to walk/stagger through the streets until she realises that she's lost. "Where is the club? John! John!"

"My name's John." a guy says, standing at the bus stop.

"No you're not John." she replies. "John is an army doctor."

She takes out her phone and begins to wonder if she should call John. But she remembers that John decided to leave his phone at Baker Street. That leaves her with only two other options because now she's getting frightened. It's very dark, she's lost, and all she wants is her mum. There's people talking to her as they walk past and she doesn't understand why. There's only two people left she can call. Only two. Sherlock or Lucien.

She puts her phone into her pocket for a moment, frightened someone would snatch it off of her. She folds her arms and leans against the wall and begins before she begins think. She could always ask someone where she is and then phone a taxi.

She wanders over to the people at the bust stop. "Hey. Where is this place? I'm kind of lost. Everything looks so much different in the dark."

"You know my cousin is an army doctor. In Iraq."

"John is is an army doctor invalided out from Afghanistan and he has a blog."

"You lost him?"

"Well you see I was at this party. Someone's eighteenth and it's fancy dress and I totally cosplayed and am still cosplaying as the eleventh doctor. I had too much to drink of that green stuff midori. Maybe it disagreed with me."

"Alcohol can do that to you. Why don't you let me help you find this club?"

"I'm not sure you can. I'm kind of a genius and I can't find it...Did you say alcohol? But Midori isn't alchol. It's a soft drink and it tastes really really nice."

"What's this kid all about?" some woman asks, their boyfriend.

Sophia's phone suddenly rings and she removes it from her pocket to find that one of her two choices is phoning her. Uh-oh. What does she say?


	13. Chapter 13

Sophia answers her phone. "Hello! I'm okay. I'm not lost."

"Sure your not, love." someone shouts at her.

"Hey! Shut up!" Sophia replies. "I'm in the middle of the starting of a conversation, it's rude to interrupt!"

"Burden where are you?" she hears Sherlock ask, at the other end of the call. She begins to walk on despite being shouting to her.

"I don't honestly know where I am. But it's definitely earth! I can't find The Tardis." she replies.

"John called me from the club he says your missing and he says that you're a little drunk." Sherlock tells her.

"OK. It's not my fault people give you drinks and you don't know what's in them. I mean...it was very nice."

She's in an alleyway all of a sudden and it's utterly lonely, and it suddenly seems darker. "I don't know where I am. I really don't know where I am." she says, suddenly, in panic. "I never not know where I am."

"Listen to me. John and I are both looking for you. I'm coming. We'll find you. Don't panic."

"I can't help it. I am really, really scared." Sophia replies. "It's so dark. Mum isn't here. I'm not in control of myself and there is no one around, it's all quiet and I don't like it and did I mention that I want my mum?"

She sits down and tears fall down her cheeks. It's the first time she's cried in a long time. "Please come and find me. Please. Help me, dad. Please."

"Sophia." he says quietly. She's shocked. It's the first time he's called her Sophia. "Sophia you've got a phone with access to the internet. You have a map app. You can exit the call and still talk to me while you're looking for it. Put me on speaker. Find out where you are and tell me."

Sophia puts it's on speaker, with shaking hands and then looks for the app. "Which one, I have a lot? I have the apple version, the google maps version, and..."

"Just choose the google one. It'll be more accurate."

"Right. I just press the app button thing, don't I?"

Sherlock lets out a heavy sigh. "Burden! Pull yourself together."

"OK...I can't pronounce that at the moment. I'm just going to screenshot you it and send you it." she replies.

"I am coming to find you. I promise." Sherlock tells her.

"I'm glad you're my dad by the way. You're a really nice person."

Sherlock's shocked to hear her say that. He doesn't reply to it however and instead changes the subject. "You just keep talking to me, alright? Talk to me about Doctor Who."

"It's the best thing ever." Sophia replies.

"Perfectly valid opinion, Burden but I was hoping you'd go deeper."

"It's about a madman with a box. When everyone else is gone it's just him and her. A boy and his box, basically. He's in love with the Tardis and he calls her sexy when they're alone."

"This woman is also a box?"

"It's complicated." Sophia replies.

"What are you doing hiding down there, sweetheart?" asks a drunk man, who is in a worse state than Sophia.

Sophia didn't seen him coming, and she drops her phone in shock. "Jesus! Did you have to do that? You made me drop my phone. Oh for goodness sake! Don't sneak up on me. I could kill you!"

"Ah...you don't have any money on you, do you? Only...I've lost mine."

"I'm afraid that my Burden doesn't have any spare change. She won't be able to stay and talk because she's got to go home and sleep."

As soon as Sophia hears Sherlock, she grabs her phone and stands up. "Dad."

"You're alright, now." he says before putting his arm around her and taking her away out of the alley. "We'll get a taxi back to Baker Street. John is furious with you by the way."

Sophia sighs and then turns around so she can fully hug her father. "Thank you for coming to get me."

He hesitantly and awkwardly pats her on the back. "Well...that's...ummm...okay."

He helps her in to the taxi and she tries to hide all signs of crying. "If it makes you feel any better...I was doing drugs at your age." Sherlock says.

She suddenly begins to laugh. "You're so funny! You're honestly so random!"

Sherlock shakes his head. When they get back to Baker Street, Sarah and John are there. "Look it's Rory the Roman!" Sophia says before throwing her arms around John. "Where's Amy? You know Amelia Pond."

"Who's Amy, John?" Sarah asks.

"Rory's wife."

"John?!" Sarah asks.

"It's alright. Sophia's TV thing..." John replies before breaking away from Sophia's hug. "Sit down, Sophia."

"Where?"

"Just sit down." John tells her.

She goes to sit on the floor. "On the sofa!" he says, annoyed.

She sits down and begins to whistle and drum her hands on her knee. "John! What's going on?" Sherlock asks.

"Sherlock you stay out of this." John replies.

"Don't shout at him. He saved my life. Again." Sophia tells him.

"Do you know why I'm angry at you?" John asks.

"Emm...Could it be something to do with..."

John pretends to look at his watch.

"Did something to happen to Amy again and it's my fault, again?"

"You are drunk! And you're not even the age to drink! How many glasses of Midori did you have?"

"You mean the green stuff?" Sophia asks. "Eleven. I'm glad you took the twelveth one off of me. Because that means I have had eleven glasses and I'm The Eleventh incarnation of The Doctor."

"Sophia. You're drunk that's why I'm angry at you."

"John." Sarah speaks up.

"I thought better of you, Sophia. I didn't think you'd go and drink alcohol!"

Sophia stands up suddenly. "I DID NOT KNOW IT WAS ALCOHOL!"

"How could you not know that it was alcohol?" John asks, confused.

"A waiter guy came by with a tray and offered me a drink. Like they do in the movies. Why would he offer it to me if it was alcohol?"

"So you drank about eleven glasses off something you didn't know...Sophia you don't take drinks from people you don't know either. When you go to parties...you need to watch out for people trying to drug you and...I just can't believe...you...could be so stupid."

"Alright! John!" Sherlock butts in.

Sophia sits down and suddenly begins to cry. "I'm sorry!" she says.

"I think you better leave." Sherlock says. "Get back to your party."

John looks from Sophia to Sherlock and then Sherlock to Sophia. "Come on Sarah."

When they are gone, Sherlock slowly walks over to the sofa and awkwardly pats her back again.

"If I could bring her back for you...I would but I can't." Sherlock says.

"I know." Sophia replies. "I also know that you're not a freak. You shouldn't listen to what people say. I sometimes think you're an arse but...that doesn't matter. You're a nice person. You're brilliant. You could be less arrogant sometimes but that's just you. You try and say that you're sociopathic and that you don't care and that you distance yourself from most things but that's _because_ you care."

"You're like your mother."

"I wish. She wouldn't have just...messed up...Sometimes I really can be stupid. I'm too busy thinking about stuff...that I shouldn't have on my priority list. It's how I walk in to doors and everything. But no matter how hard I try... I can't be serious or mature."

"It's alright." Sherlock says, airily. "No one says I'm mature."

"I'm going to sleep now." Sophia says. "Uncle Mycroft will be home in the morning and umm...John will probably tell him about this..."

She stands up and walks away, to the staircase.


	14. Chapter 14

Sophia begins packing her things the next morning, to go back to Mycroft's country estate. She knows she is going to get a lecture off of Mycroft for drinking.

She is definitely not looking forward to leaving, not just because she is dreading Mycroft's lecture - she can shut herself off to that - but because she enjoyed being there at Baker Street.

Any chances of her coming back for even a small visit were most likely ruined by what she said to Sherlock while she was drunk and John seemed quite irritated by her too. She had embarrassed herself good and proper.

But what was on her mind most of all was the fact that she cried. Perhaps it was the concern Sherlock had, or the inability to think properly, maybe even a mixture of different things but for a while she cried. Sherlock never even criticised her for it, and that may have made it worse.

She hears the doorbell ring and sighs. It is time for her to leave. She makes her way to her door, to leave 221 C but is surprised to find that it is locked, and the keys are gone from the table.

"Ah. Mycroft." Sherlock greets.

Sophia frowns as she listens.

"I am afraid Burden can't go with you. She is staying here."

Sophia slumps to the floor in shock.

He has prepared an excuse if Mycroft asks why, but there is no need because he doesn't.

"Is that what she wants?" Mycroft asks.

"I haven't asked her. She is still sleeping."

"I am aware of her adventure last night." Mycroft informs Sherlock."I hope you're prepared for that sort of commitment in future. She can be a handful, can't she?"

"This adventure as you call it was an accident." Sherlock replies. "John has already spoken to her about it. Good morning!"

Sophia hears the door close over and she can't help but smile. Sherlock was keeping her at Baker

Street and he defended her.

She walks away from the door and in to her room to go back to sleep for a while.

* * *

When she wakes up, Sophia goes to the living room to find Sherlock sitting in thought with his hands in a pyramid shape. "I take it I'm not going home then."

"This is where you'll be staying now. I assume you heard the conversation this morning. I saw your shadow."

"You defended me. Even though I was in the wrong. It was very sweet of you."

"I didn't do it to be sweet." Sherlock replies.

"Why did you do it then?" Sophia asks.

"Because...I don't know." he replies. "I think it's best you stay here so that I can stop you from attention seeking more easily."

"Attention seeking?" Sophia questions.

"Yes. Almost getting killed. Being drunk. Those sorts of things. Not to mention you can be quite useful to have around."

They hear the door downstairs open. "That will be John." Sherlock says.

Sophia makes her way over to the breakfast table to sit and read the newspaper. "That's yesterday's." Sherlock says.

"Morning." John says as he reaches the living room. "Did I miss Sophia?"

"Oh no you didn't. Burden is reading yesterday's newspaper." Sherlock states before picking up his violin and beginning to play it.

Sophia moves the newspaper closer to her face. "Sophia." John speaks, as he moves the paper away from her. "Are you alright?"

"I"m fine." she replies.

"Good." John replies before going to turn away. He stops and looks at her. "You do understand why I was angry, don't you? You could have been hurt! You need to be more careful. If something had happened to you..."

"I know." Sophia replies. "It won't happen again."

"Well good!"

There's suddenly silence. It last for a good few moments.

"What time is Mycroft getting you?" John asks.

"I'm not leaving." Sophia replies. "I've to stay so I won't attention seek."

"Really?" John asks surprised, and with a smile on his face. "Well that's brilliant! Isn't it, Sherlock?"

He doesn't answer.

"Have you got a headache?" John asks Sophia.

"No. I already took painkillers. So it's fine."

"That isn't so bad, then." John replies before sitting across from her and opening up his laptop.

"You're blogging about it aren't you?" Sophia asks.

"Yes." John replies.

"Please don't tell them I was drunk." Sophia asks him.

She stands up and puts on her boots. "Since I'm free of Mycroft, I"m going out for a walk."

"No you are not!" John says.

"Why not?"

"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?" John asks.

Sophia suddenly realises she is still in her pyjamas. "Oh! Right."

"Not to mention you are grounded." John replies.

"It was an accident. You're basically grounding me for being stupid."

"If that was the case you would permanently be grounded." Sherlock inputs, putting his violin on the his chair.

"Dad. Am I grounded?"

"John's the one that says so. Ask him."

"But that isn't how it works!" Sophia replies.

"Sophia I"m kidding." John replies. "Just be careful. The last few times you have went out on your own, have not been good."

"On second thoughts she is grounded. If she goes out, she'll attention seek." Sherlock inputs.

"I'm going to the shopping centre with Sarah. You could come out with us." John says.

"I got let out more when I was in Mycroft's house." Sophia complains before storming downstairs.

"Your child is growing up." John jokes to Sherlock.

"Pardon?" Sherlock asks.

"Nothing, Sherlock. Nothing at all." John replies, with an amused smile on his face. "Absolutely nothing at all."

* * *

There's a ring at the door bell and Sherlock orders Sophia to answer it. "What's wrong with you getting it? I'm building a pencil case, designed like The Tardis for when I go back to school."

"I'll get it!" John says with an exasperated sigh.

A few moments later, Sophia is watching Sherlock and John interview three young men who were possibly more geekier than she was. She looks at her Tardis pencil case plans and decides not to think about the answer.

"We have this website; it explains the true meaning of comic books. As people miss a lot of the themes." one of them begins to explain to Sherlock who is pacing up and down. Sherlock goes to turn away and leave the room, absolutely uninterested. "But then all the comic books started coming true.

Sherlock doubles back. "Oh interesting!"

Sophia looks up and then exchanges a look with John.

* * *

Sophia is painting her Tardis pencil case, blue, while John sits on his chair and types away at his laptop. Sherlock suddenly leans over to see what he's doing.

"The Geek interpreter what's that?"

"The title." John replies.

"What does it need a title for?" Sherlock asks.

John doesn't answer and just smiles. Sophia shakes her head.

"I hope you plan on cleaning up that mess." Sherlock says, referring to her pencil case.

She rolls her eyes.

* * *

Sherlock is about to make his way to the sofa with his newspaper and slice of toast, when he catches sight of John typing on the computer. "Oh for God's sakes. The Speckled Blonde?!"

John just shrugs it off and continues typing.


	15. Chapter 15

Lestrade begins to lead Sherlock and John up to a deserted car. "There was a plane crash in Dusseldorf yesterday. Everyone dead." he explains.

"Suspected terrorist bomb." Sherlock comments. "We do watch the news."

John has to comment. "He said boring and turned over."

Lestrade opens the boot of the car. "Well, according to the flight details, this man was checked in on board. Inside his coat he's got a stub from his boarding pass, napkins from the flight, even one of those special biscuits. Here's his passport stamped in Berlin Airport. So this man should have died in a plane crash in Germany yesterday but instead he's in a car boot in Southwark."

Sherlock begins to examine the rear end of the car. "Lucky escape." comments John.

"Any ideas?" asks Lestrade.

"Eight so far."

After he looks at the body her says "Ok. Four ideas."

"Maybe two ideas." he comments after examining the passport and boarding pass.

* * *

"No. No. No. Don't mention the unsolved ones." Sherlock says indignantly to John as he types about Sherlock's bafflement with the case of the man in the back of the car in Surrey.

"People want to know you're human." John tells him as a reason for typing about it.

"Why?" he asks haughtily.

"Because they're interested."

Sherlock disagrees. "No they're not." Then a few moments later he goes on to ask. "Why are they?"

John smiles at his computer screen. "Look at that. One thousand, eight hundred and ninety five."

"I'm sorry what?" Sherlock asks, holding his goggles, blow-torch and a flask with a green substance.

"I reset that counter last night. This blog has had nearly two thousand hits in the last eight hours. This is your living, Sherlock. Not two hundred and forty different types of tobacco ash."

"Two hundred and forty three." Sherlock corrects before heading away.

* * *

Sherlock and John begin to make their way across a stage, following behind Lestrade after just solving a case. As they reach back stage Sherlock turns to John and asks. "So what's this one? Belly button murders?"

"The naval treatment?" John suggests.

"Eurgh." Sherlock answers.

Before they reach the exit, Lestrade decides to inform them of the press outside. "There's a lot of press outside, guys."

"Yeah well they won't be interested in us." Sherlock states, wrongly.

"That was before you were an internet phenomenon. A couple of them specifically wanted photographs of you two."

Sherlock turns to John exasperated. "For God's sakes!"

* * *

When they get home, Sherlock complains. "The media. How tedious!" he comments in dissent. He picks up the deerstalker hat he used while he was getting away and throws it in the bin.

"That was a nice hat." John states in jest, only to earn a look from Sherlock. Sherlock storms upstairs and slams his bedroom door shut.

"OK, then." John says with a sigh.

* * *

John picks up the morning's newspaper to find the headline is Hat Man and Robin. He smiles. Sherlock will not be pleased. They actually got a photo of him in the deerstalker. It was his own fault for putting it on in the first place, John concluded. When he takes it back in to Baker Street, Sherlock has already got a copy.

"Hatman and Robin! Really?!" he exclaims, before letting out an enormous scoff.

"It'll be good for business, Sherlock." John tells him before heading to the kitchen area to pour a bowel of cereal, and take it over to the table.

"Why will it be good for business?" Sherlock inquires, nonchalantly.

"Publicity." John replies. "More people will be aware of your services, my blog and maybe even your website."

"I thought no one was reading my website." Sherlock says, bitterly.

"That's why I said maybe." John remarks.

Sherlock stands up and makes his way to the window. "It's very quiet, isn't it?" Sherlock asks.

"Aside from you talking?" John replies.

"It's like something is missing." Sherlock comments.

"I know what you mean. It is a little quiet."

"Boys. Look at the mess." complains Mrs Hudson as she walks in to the living room.

"It can't be Mrs Hudson..." Sherlock comments. "She's here and I still feel like...something is missing."

"Hmm. Have we left the oven on?" John asks.

"I turned it off." Mrs Hudson says. "So you probably did."

"That explains it." John tells Sherlock.

* * *

Sophia opens up the door the house where she had once lived with her mother. Once inside she makes her way upstairs to her old room to pack more of her stuff in boxes. She had not moved all of it to Mycroft's but Baker Street feels kind of more like home.

She decides to get some boxes and makes her way in to her mum's room. When inside, pain fills her chest like a bullet to the heart. It's the first time she's been in there. She checks under the bed where her mother usually kept empty boxes and finds a small box jammed in amongst them. She takes it out and examines what's inside. A camera phone, with a charger. Her mother's camera phone. Sophia doesn't know whether to smile or be sad. The phone could have photos of her, and her mother.

She looks at the lock screen.

**I A LOCKED **

* * *

"It's not a what!" Sherlock says suddenly, jumping out of his chair. "Burden!"

"Oh that's right. Sophia's usually up..." John says. "I wonder where she is."

Sherlock takes out his phone and checks the GPS tracker he has on her, the signal coming from a small chip in her locket.

"That's strange." he says.

"What is? I'm sure she's fine, Sherlock." John replies.

"Nothing. Just talking to myself." Sherlock replies. He frowns before sitting down in his chair. He lifts up a book and begins to read.

"Sherlock...Sophia is going back to school soon."

"Is she?" Sherlock asks, not paying attention.

"Is she going back to that boarding school?"

"No! I need her here, where I can keep an eye on her. She can just stay here. She doesn't have to go at all."

"She needs to go to school, Sherlock." John tells him. "Do you want Mycroft to start interfering again?"

"I will ask her when she comes back."

"She'll agree with you." John says.

"What's the problem, then?" Sherlock replies.

"All of it." John replies.


	16. Chapter 16

Mrs Hudson walks in to the living room in Baker Street and begins an attempt to try and tidy up the ridiculous mess left. When she goes to put the milk away, she is almost sent in to unconsciousness from the smell of rotten food inside. She pulls a bag out and examines it before cringing. "Oh dear! Thumbs!" she utters, a little shocked. Obviously one of Sherlock's many experiments. Is it any wonder that Sophia has her own fridge in her flat/room?

A middle aged man suddenly makes his way in to the living room. "The door..." he begins to stumble. "The door was..."

He passes out.

"Oh!" Mrs Hudson exclaims again. She looks up in the direction of Sherlock and John's rooms. "Boys! You've got another one!"

* * *

When he finally regains consciousness the man who staggered in to the living room sits in Sherlock's living room, waiting to explain what happened to Sherlock.

"Tell us from the start! Don't be boring!" he says rudely.

* * *

Sherlock is communicating to John through webcam, wearing nothing but a sheet. He carries the laptop and picks up a cup of tea from the table, as he makes his way to the chair.

"You do realize this is a tiny bit humiliating." John tries to explain to him.

"It's okay. I'm fine." Sherlock says, before yawning. He sits down. "Now show me to the stream."

"I didn't really mean for you." John tells him.

"Look this is a six." he says as the doorbell rings. "There's no point in my leaving the flat for anything less than a seven. We agreed. Now, go back. Show me the grass."

John begins walking in the field he's communicating through the web-came from. "When did we agree that?" he asks as he moves the laptop around.

"We agreed it yesterday. Stop!"

John stops moving the laptop.

"Closer." Sherlock commands.

"I wasn't even at home yesterday, I was in Dublin."

"Well it's hardly my fault you weren't listening."

The doorbell rings and Sherlock looks towards the door to the living room/and the stairs. "Shut up!" he shouts to thin air.

"Do you just carry on talking while I'm away?"

"I don't know. How often are you away?"

"Do you still talk to Sophia when she's away?"

"Is she away?"

"She's at school."

"Why?"

"I thought we already spoke about this."

"Show me the car."

John turns the laptop round and walks towards it. "That's the one that made the noise, yes?"

"Yeah and if you're thinking gunshot, there wasn't one. He wasn't shot; he was killed by a single blow to the back of the head from a blunt instrument which then magically disappeared along with the killer. That's gotta be an eight at least."

The detective working on the case suddenly appears next to John to talk to Sherlock. "You've got two minutes then I want to know more about the driver."

Sherlock waves his hand dismissivley. "Oh forget him he's an idiot. Why else would he think himself a suspect?"

"I think he's a suspect!" the Detective says.

"Pass me over!" Sherlock says to John.

"Alright!" John agrees. "But there is a mute button and I will use it."

He hands the laptop over to Detective Carter, who then has to deal with Sherlock's lecture.

"Having driven to an isolated location and successfully committed a crime without a single witness, why would he then call the police and consult a detective? Fair play?!"

"He's trying to be clever. It's over-confidence."

"Did you see him? Morbidly obese, the undisguised halitosis of a single man living on his own, the right sleeve of an internet porn addict and the breathing pattern of an untreated heart condition. Low self-esteem, tiny IQ and a limited life expectancy – and you think he's an audacious criminal mastermind?!" He stops speaking and looks behind him. "Don't worry this is just stupid."

He's talking to the driver who is still in the living room. "What did you say? Heart what?" the driver asks.

"Go to the stream!" Sherlock says to Carter.

"What's in the stream?" Carter asks.

"Go and see." he replies.

Mrs Hudson walks in to the living room with two men. "Sherlock! You weren't answering your door bell." she scolds him.

"His room's through the back. Get him some clothes!" one of them orders the other.

"Who the hell are you?" Sherlock asks.

"Sorry Mr Holmes. You're coming with us."

* * *

Sophia is in class drumming her pencil on her notepad as she listens to the teacher, or rather pretends to. In one ear concealed by her hair is one of her headphones. She's listening to music, and tapping along in time with the rhythm.

She doesn't fail to notice one of the office ladies step up to the door and open it. "Sophia Adler is to go to the office. Her father is her to pick her up."

Sophia doesn't know whether to jump for joy that she's leaving French or worry that Sherlock's picking her up from school, early. As much as he understood her hate for school, he would be too lazy to come and get her out of it.

She stands up and takes her bag with her. "Did you forget your dental appointment, dear?" the office woman asks, Sophia.

"No. Maybe."

"You're under stress. Coming from a new school." she replies.

When Sophia gets to the office it isn't Sherlock that's there. "Hello, Sophia. Ready for a chat?"

Sophia swallows.

* * *

John can't believe it. He's being lead in to Buckingham Palace. He sees Sherlock and goes and sits beside him. Not a word being exchanged between them.

He looks at Sherlock for a moment. "You wearing any pants?" he asks.

"No." Sherlock replies.

Suddenly they begin to laugh.

* * *

"Now before you run away, Sophia. I just want to talk." speaks the man who came to pick her up for a 'dental appointment.'

Sophia swallows again. "Are you listening to your music in class? That's very poor of you."

"Go away or I'll phone the police. I've got the direct number for a detective."

"In a while they won't be able to even touch me. Now talk to me." he says. "This way."

Sophia clenches her firsts and ends up following him.


	17. Chapter 17

After around twenty minutes of fighting with Sherlock to put his clothes on in Bucking Palace, Mycroft sits down across from him with a man working for an anonymous client of Sherlock's.

"I believe you know Godrey Norton, Mr Holmes." Harry, the Bucking Palace worker speaks. Sherlock looks at him for a moment and then sighs. Norton wasn't his favorite person. He was down on the list of favorites with Donovan.

"I know _of _him." Sherlock replies. "Why?"

"Mr Norton claims to have in his possession a camera phone that with compromising photos." Mycroft says to Sherlock.

"We would like you to recover them." Harry says.

"What's important about the photos?" Sherlock asks.

* * *

Sophia sits in a limousine and looks at the man who brought her out of school, disgust in her eyes. "Have you found it, yet?" he asks.

"Found what?" Sophia asks, perturbed. "I don't know what you're talking about and I don't really care!"

"Your mother hand a camera phone and she was trying to bring me down. I began threatening your existence in the universe but she managed to give me an incentive to keep you safe. She downloaded all of the information she had from my computers and wiped them. All of it on to her camera phone. She was a smart woman, I'll give her that."

"You threatened my mother!"

"Yes and when she won, I had to take other measures. I had to make a phone call. Jim Moriarty is a lovely man."

"Why were you threatening her? Why did you call Moriarty? Why did she have to die?"

"Because I wanted the camera phone back and I wanted the money she got from the divorce back. I assume that's your inheritance."

"Let me go, Norton!" Sophia says. "I don't know what camera phone you're on about." She is lying but there is no tone in her voice to suggest that.

"Oh come on, Sophia. You know I don't like that answer and I'm going to have guests coming soon, looking for it at my home. I need that as a bargaining chip."

"You bastard!" Sophia says.

Norton punches her, causing her to taste blood in her mouth from biting her cheek accidentally. The crimson substance is also leaking from her nose. "We can do this all day, Sophia."

"Really?" Sophia asks before opening the door to the limousine and throwing herself out. She breaks into a run, and pulls out her phone.

* * *

"So Norton claims to have a camera phone with compromising photos of this young female person, whom he had an affair with. That's nice." Sherlock says, sarcastically.

"Mr Holmes..." Harry starts until John's phone begins to ring.

"That personalized ringtone is for Burden isn't it?" Sherlock asks.

"She wouldn't phone me...she'd phone you. She prefers to text usually." John says.

Sherlock takes it out of his hand and answers it. "Mr Holmes!" Harry protests.

"Shut up!" Sherlock says. "Not you Burden...What's wrong?...Did he hurt you?...That's not alright!...Is he coming after you?...What do you mean you don't know?!...Hold on I'm putting you on speaker."

Sherlock puts Sophia on speaker. "Norton picked her up from school! She jumped out of his limousine to get away after he hit her!"

Mycroft removes his phone and calls Lucien. "Mycroft." Harry sighs.

"I'm afraid I'm going to need your cigarette lighter." Sherlock says.

"I don't smoke." Harry replies.

"But your employer does and as of now this anonymous person is at the bottom of my list of concerns."

* * *

Sophia waits in a cafe and Lucien steps inside to find her. "Well...look at you. Out in a war zone again?" he asks.

She looks down at her coffee with a sad expression. "He called Moriarty to kill my mother."

"I'm sorry." Lucien says.

"Where's my dad?"

"He's going to meet him apparently. At the moment we can't touch him. Because of the photos. So I hope he manages to keep his cool."

"What's this whole camera phone thing about?" Sophia asks.

"Apparently there's compromising photos."

"Like...scandalous photos."

"Norton had an affair with an important young female. That's all you need to know."

"Sounds like Norton has a lot more on this camera phone than photos."

"I wouldn't know." Lucien replies. "I'm to take you back to Baker Street."

"I'm fine. I'll wait here."

Lucien sits beside her and puts a hand on her shoulder. "I know it's hard when old wounds begin to get opened."

"They were never really sealed."

"True." Lucien replies. "But are you going to let Norton win?"

"I didn't. I jumped out of the car. But before that I felt like I did when I was little and he used to get very angry with my mother and I. Then I remember that there's not point being frightened of someone called Godfrey."

Lucien snickers.

* * *

Sherlock knocks on Norton's door, John with him. "Remember your job." Sherlock says. "And don't kill him."

"Are you going to refrain from that?" John asks.

The door is answered by Norton's PA. "Come in. He's expecting you."

Sherlock and John make their way upstairs to find Norton sitting in a luxurious living room. "Good morning gentleman. I see where dear little Sophia got her eyes from."

Sherlock clenches his fist. It's an automatic reaction upon seeing him. It must have been where Sophia inherited hers from. Or perhaps Norton just had that effect on people.

"I am surprised you didn't even try a disguise or an alias, Mr Holmes." Norton says to him.

"Well we were in a hurry." John inputs. "_A hurry to punch your face in. Sadly Mycroft says know but if you weren't under protection from your camera phone, then I would kill you!"_

"I see you've been abroad." Sherlock says. "Manhattan."

"Yes. How did you know that? But then again Irene liked that in you I think. Always liked a detective story."

Sherlock stares at him. "I know, Mr Norton the same way I know that the camera phone is in this room."

"Yes. But how?!" he asks, irritated.

"John lock the door." Sherlock says.

John leaves and closes the door behind him. "You hit my Burden." Sherlock says. "And don't think that just because I haven't found that camera phone yet, means I'm not going to hurt you. I don't have to do it physically!"

"Oh so you care about her?" Norton asks.

"That's none of your business." Sherlock replies.

The fire alarm goes off suddenly and Norton looks over to the mantelpiece. "Thank you." Sherlock says. "Fire always exposes our priorities."

The door bursts opens and three men carrying guns, escort John in to the room. "Thank you Mr Holmes, and Dr Watson." he speaks in an American accent. "Kindly open the safe for us."

"I'm afraid I don't know the code." Sherlock says. "First digit always has heaviest oil deposit. So that's a...one...Oh you're definitely the sort of man who would use a birthday but not your birthday...the birthday of your company? Always were the same."

Sherlock punches it in and then suddenly realizes as he goes to open it. "Vatican Cameos!" he shouts.

John ducks and a bullet launches out of the safe, hitting Norton in the shoulder. "Oh dear." Sherlock says. "That must have hurt!"

"The camera phone, Mr Holmes." speaks the leader of the American gunmen.

Sherlock removes it from the safe and examines it. "No. This can't be it." Sherlock says. "It doesn't even have a password."

Sherlock tosses it to the American before signaling to John to leave. "Was that _not _the real camera phone?"

"Obviously not." Sherlock replies.

"Then where is the real one?" John asks.

"It's what I'm going to find out." Sherlock replies.


	18. Chapter 18

Sherlock watches Sophia as she quietly does her homework at the table. She's doing her best not to engage in conversation with anyone or make eye contact. When did he care so much about her? He still can't say he's known her almost half a year.

John is also concerned and angry. Maybe just as much as Sherlock. But what's frustrating is that Sophia won't let him look at the cut on her cheek, from Norton's punch. It's beginning to bruise as well and the silence is killing him. It's too much. Finally he decides to break it.

"What homework are you doing?" John inquires, quietly. Sophia doesn't look up but she still answers him.

"Chemistry." she replies. Sherlock looks up and use it as an excuse to wander over and see what she's doing.

"I did chemistry at school." Sherlock says.

"Yes. So I have gathered." Sophia replies.

"You know what it's approaching dinner time. I'll get us something to eat." John says. "Or we could go out."

"Are you struggling?" Sherlock asks. "Because Anderson can do this work."

John draws him a look as if to say 'you're not helping'.

"I just can't concentrate." Sophia replies. "I'm not really hungry either. Get something for yourself."

When John is gone, Sherlock still hasn't gone back to his chair. "Why did Norton hit you? There must have been a reason."

"A reason?" Sophia asks. "So I done something to deserve it, then?"

"No I mean...he must have wanted something or else he wouldn't have gotten you from school." Sherlock replies.

Sophia looks down at her workbook and pretends to be thinking about polar covalent bonding. "Burden. You can trust me."

Sophia opens up her Tardis pencil case she made and pulls out the camera phone. "I found it a couple of months ago but it's passworded. It's my mum's."

Sherlock examines it. "What would your mother want with photos of...never mind."

"There's more than photos. I think she found out Norton was up to something. So she downloaded data from his computer. Then erased it."

"Surely The Woman would have turned it into the authorities to have him arrested if he was in to anything illegal...Unless he was threatening the one person she cared about the most."

"I think he's going down the drain. Him and his company. He's lost so much from what I've gathered. He was desperate for few million from my mother and that is why he threatened me."

"So your mother held on to this to keep you safe. But conveniently she was..." Sherlock looks at Sophia bow her head, and the tears stream down her face. Some of them stung the area where Norton had hit Sophia.

"He is playing at something." Sophia tells Sherlock. "He is sleazy, slippery and nothing more than a bastard!"

"So Norton doesn't have the camera phone but he gets in touch with the palace, and says that he does."

"But he doesn't...he know you're coming though..."

"He tries to find you because he knows at least if you haven't got it...you'll look for it."

"When that doesn't work he plants the fake camera phone in his safe." Sophia adds.

"Mycroft had already planned with the Americans to break in at that moment."

"So there is definitely more on that camera phone than scandalous images."

"Undoubtedly." Sherlock replies.

"Mycroft." they hear Mrs Hudson greet Sherlock's brother.

Sherlock hands the camera phone to Sophia. "Hide it." he tells her. She puts it back in her pencil case and gets on with her chemistry work.

"Mycroft..." Sherlock begins.

"Sophia. I"m glad you're here." Mycroft says. "How are you feeling?'

She puts her headphones in and listens to her music, without replying. "Am I supposed to hear your music?" Mycroft inquires.

"Is there a reason you are here?" Sherlock inquires.

"I was speaking to Godfrey Norton. He knows every bit of information that was downloaded on to the camera phone, or claims to. What's very odd is that the one in his safe wasn't the actual camera phone. He did tell us a curious tale about Irene Adler."

"Oh really?" Sherlock asks. "I don't have time to listen to it."

"Sherlock...If Sophia has the camera phone. It's best that she hands it over." Mycroft tells him.

Sherlock taps Sophia's shoulder and she takes her headphones out. "Did you take the camera phone?"

"Well I do have a camera phone of my own but it's basically just my..." she begins.

"See!" Sherlock says to Mycroft. "Norton is playing you for something. I'd watch out."

"He's a slimy, sleazy, git!" Sophia informs Mycroft.

"Handing it over to us will ensure that we'll arrest Norton. We have gathered that's he has been involved in your mother's death."

Sophia swallows.

"He must have done other illegal activities to have such frightening information that he does and in particular we're looking for one. It must be recovered." he continues.

Mycroft's phone rings. "Excuse me."

He leaves to go downstairs to answer it.

"When is your birthday?" Sherlock asks.

"Thirteenth of February." Sophia replies. "Why?"

"Might be the password." Sherlock tells her.

He opens up her pencil cases and pulls the phone out. "Nope!" he says once he's typed it in.

"Mum wasn't stupid. She wouldn't have put my birthday in."

"Can I hold on to this?" Sherlock asks.

They hear Mycroft coming and Sophia nods. "Bond air is go. Check with the Coventry lot." they hear Mycroft say.

"Until we get that camera phone back, then my hands are tied. Norton is untouchable."

"Why don't you torture him?" Sophia asks. "I will devise some methods."

"But that's no guarantee of your safety, if we do. He still has some form of income, despite the decline of his business and he has the help of Jim Moriarty. I'm sure you've worked that out. When Norton had gone to him with his problem of your mother's existence..." Mycroft begins.

"Do not..."

Sophia stands up and tries not to lose control of her anger. "Her existence was not a problem! Do you hear me!?"

With that she storms down to her room and Sherlock goes to the window to play his violin. "If you excuse me, I must go now. I have a long and arduous apology to make to an old friend."

"Do give her my love." Sherlock replies before playing God Save The Queen.


	19. Chapter 19

While Mycroft searched for the camera phone, Norton cleared off, with no one to know where he was. Sophia was glad; she hated him. Now it was Christmas and she had just finished the Doctor Who Christmas special episode. She makes her way up to the living room to find Sherlock playing his violin - We Wish You A Merry Christmas.

"Lovely, Sherlock! That was lovely!" Mrs Hudson says.

Sophia stands at the door and watches as everyone talks. She doesn't feel in the Christmas mood.

"Marvellous." John compliments him, before sitting down with a glass of wine.

"I wish you could have worn the antlers." Mrs Hudson says to Sherlock. Sophia decides to go downstairs and lock herself in her room. As she's about to turn, Mrs Hudson calls her over.

"Sophia. Where have you been hiding all day?" she inquires.

Sophia watches as Janet, John's latest girlfriend carries a tray over to Sherlock. "No thank you, Sarah."

Sophia does indeed turn around and leave so she doesn't have to watch the painful humiliation of everyone, including Sherlock - always done by himself. She puts her coat on and makes her way outside, passing by Molly.

"Hey, Sophia. How is school, going?" Molly asks.

"Lovely." Sophia replies, trying to keep a normalized tone to her voice.

She walks on and Molly makes her way up with the Christmas presents. John and Mycroft gave her presents, which she hasn't opened yet. She's not sure about Sherlock but she doesn't care. She just wants one thing, and that's for her mother to be alive again. She doubts she'll even open the presents in the morning - Christmas morning.

She buys a rose from a shop which was amazingly still open and then makes her way to the graveyard, where her mother was buried. There's snow but not much of it, and there is even less in the graveyard.

She finds her mother's headstone and places the flower on the stone. "I miss you, very much." Sophia says. "And sometimes it's so bad that I wake up in the morning and I don't want to go on living."

"I'll come by tomorrow again...I'm sorry about Norton threatening you. I just wish that you had told me..."

Tears begin to fall from her eyes. "Why did you have to leave me?"

* * *

Sherlock decides to leave since he upset Molly - something he is very good at doing - and he makes his way downstairs to talk to Sophia. "Burden!" he shouts. When he notices she's gone he sighs.

* * *

Sophia removes her phone from her pocket when it starts ringing. She answers it. "Sophia. It's me, Mycroft. Have you found the camera phone yet?"

"Why bring it up now?" Sophia asks.

"I'm just curious."

"Under pressure from the Americans?" Sophia asks.

"Why do you insists on keeping it? I am not stupid, Sophia."

"What would give you that impression?"

"I know how you think, Sophia. I'll solve my mother's problems. But it won't work that way. Norton told us that's it has information on upcoming attacks."

"Attacks on where? This country or other countries? You'll never know!"

"That's the point, Sophia! Your mother hid all that on that camera phone."

"My mother was protecting me. How much of a fortune does Norton want for telling you this information? Or is he not asking for it until the last minute when you're absolutely desperate. He always has a back up of a back up."

"Why don't I send Lucien to come over and get you? We can talk."

"OK. I don't have the camera phone. I don't think one even exists. For all you know, Norton is just playing you."

"Then why did you say that your mother was protecting you."

"Norton's information that he told me. As I said...he's slimy! He could be lying."

"OK, Sophia...think here. It's not only you he's making suffer! If you have the means to help then it would be nice if you did it." Mycroft says more seriously.

"Since my mother died, I don't know who to trust. Sure you have been kind but no...you work with politics. Even if I did have it. You'd be the last person I gave that camera phone too, Mycroft Holmes."

"What about my brother?"

"I'm not bringing him in to this!" Sophia replies, before ending the call.

* * *

Sophia begins to make her way home but stops to sit on a chair and playing a game on her mobile. Ten minutes pass until Lucien sits beside her.

"I shouldn't be doing this." he says before removing a brown envelope and handing it to her. "Your mother's virus wiped almost every piece of information from the computers except this. An email."

Sophia takes out a printout of the email.

**007 Confirmed Allocation **

**4C12C45F13E13G60A60B61F34G34J60D12H33K34K**

"Mycroft Holmes tried to have it discarded."

"You say Mycroft Holmes as if..."

"With all due respect, you're the one I'm sworn to protect. That includes your mind. All this is eating away at you and if this might help then I'm willing to let you look at it. What is it?"

She looks at it for a moment before turning to Lucien. "I cannot be one hundred percent sure but I'm pretty sure that it's a Seven Forty-Seven leaving Heathrow tomorrow at six thirty in the evening for Baltimore. 's not code. These are seat allocations on a passenger jet. Look: there's no letter 'I' because it can be mistaken for a '1'; no letters past 'K' – the width of the plane is the limit. The numbers always appear randomly and not in sequence but the letters have little runs of sequence all over the place – families and couples sitting together. Only a Jumbo is wide enough to need the letter 'K' or rows past fifty-five, which is why there's always an upstairs. There's a row thirteen, which eliminates the more superstitious airlines. Then there's the style of the flight number – zero zero seven – that eliminates a few more; and assuming a British point of origin, which would be logical considering the original source of the information and assuming from the increased pressure on you lately that the crisis is imminent, the only flight that matches all the criteria and departs within the week is the six thirty to Baltimore tomorrow evening from Heathrow Airport."

She takes out her flight. "Flight 007..."

She stops for a moment as she remembers Mycroft's words months ago when the Norton business started. _Bond air is go. _

_"_Thank you, Sophia." Lucien says.

"Thanking me. Why? It's nothing to do with Norton...so..."

Suddenly she feel something blunt hit her in the chest and she falls off the bench, she's sitting on.

"You are no longer needed. I don't know where the camera phone is but as far, Norton's concerned, he is no longer needed either. I imagine he'll be using your Uncle. Jim Moriarty sends his love by the way."

"Lucien...I trusted..."

"You should be careful who you trust." Lucien tells her. "My name isn't Lucien either. I hope Mycroft can protect Norton better than he's been protecting you."

With that Lucien walks away and Sophia loses consciousness. Maybe to never awaken from it again.

* * *

Mycroft sits at his dining table and sighs as he reads his latest message.

**Jumbo jet. Dear me, Mr Holmes. Dear me. **


	20. Chapter 20

_I feel like I am waking up from a long long sleep. However when I awaken I am not in my bed but I am in a park. I am no longer sixteen years old but six going by the clothes that I am wearing. All of a sudden I end up looking around in panic. Where is mother? It's all I can think. Then all of a sudden a pair of arms wrap around me. _

_"Sophia!" the voice of my mother exclaims in real and frustration with an added bit concern to the mixture. _

_I can feel the tears running down my eyes. I remember the this actually happened. "It's alright now! I have found you! I will always find you, wherever you are. That's a promise."_

_All of a sudden I hear someone else call my name. A man's voice. _

* * *

"Sophia!" Sherlock cries as he runs with the trolley taking her in to the operating theatre. "Who hurt you?"

She is weak and is struggling to keep her eyes open. "Hello." she utters. "Hello, Sherlock Holmes. It was so very very nice to meet you."

Her eyes close over again and she is taking through two double doors where he can't follow. At that moment Sherlock is disturbed by his phone ringing. "Sherlock!" he hears Mycroft say when he answers it. "I need to talk to Sophia!"

"I doubt you will be any time soon." Sherlock snaps. "Get down to Bart's!"

"What's going on?" Mycroft asks.

"You tell me!" he bellows. "Call John and tell him that Burden has been hurt."

He hangs up and makes his way in to the waiting room. First Irene and now her. He sits down and holds the camera phone in his hand. Ten minutes pass and then he hears footsteps. Quickly he puts the camera phone in his pocket. "Sherlock." he hears John say. "This is a bad place to be. This is where they take in stab wounds and gun shots and..."

"I found her. Lying on the ground. Someone shot her in the chest." Sherlock informs, John as calmly as he can. "She woke up for a few seconds and she said...all she said was Hello. Hello Sherlock Holmes it was so very very nice to meet you."

"Does that mean something?" John asks.

"The Tardis said something similar to The Doctor." Sherlock replies. "Right before she died. Sophia and I have been having marathons at the weekends. I mean Burden."

John sits down.

"I think what Sophia meant was that you will always have her there for you. Or that she loves you. She does care about you extremely." John says.

"I want to know who shot her." states Sherlock.

"Mycroft is on his way." John tells him.

"He is too bloody late."

"He said that Lucien was meant to be collecting her and taking her to the estate. But he hasn't heard from him."

"There was signs to suggest she was sitting on the bench with someone and he carries a gun."

"Let's not jump to conclusions." John says.

* * *

Mycroft steps in to the waiting room to find John pacing and Sherlock catatonic. "Sorry I am late but I had problems with..."

"Problems?" John asks, dryly. "Problems while your niece is fighting for her life?"

"The same niece is holding a camera phone. One that she must have found out the password too because a piece of information on it was used to ruin plans of mine! Plans that would save lives and years of work!"

"She couldn't have!" Sherlock replies.

"You seem to be under the impression that she is not capable of that but..." Mycroft begins.

Sherlock stands up and walks close to Mycroft. Furious. "I know! And for some reason she was shot! In the chest! Near her heart! I don't think it is a coincidence do you?!"

"What makes you think she doesn't have the camera phone? She hasn't told me. Doesn't trust me at all I don't think. Do you think she will trust you?"

Sherlock takes the camera phone out of his pocket. "This is useless! Pay Norton! Give him what he wants. The phone is protected with additional casings with explosive devices! And that is The Woman I knew! This was protecting her child! She isn't just going to protect it with a passcode!"

"It didn't protect _her_ very well. Moriarty and Norton killed her."

Sherlock takes a swing at Mycroft and punches him.

* * *

"You didn't have to do that." Mycroft says half an hour later.

"You had it coming!" John inputs.

"Sophia Adler's father?" a surgeon comes in and asks. Both John and Sherlock stand up.

"Oh." the surgeon utters.

"I am her uncle." John says quickly,

"Sophia lost a lot of blood as you know. She went in to cardiac arrest. But we managed to bring her back. She is in recovery just now."

* * *

Sherlock makes his way through in to the recovery room and over to where Sophia. "Burden."

Sophia looks up at him and removes her oxygen mask. "Lucien...he...showed...an email. 007."

"Did he shoot you?"

"Yes...Coventry. It's going to happen again."

Sherlock hands Sophia her mother's camera phone. "Expect Norton to beg for Mycroft's help."

Sophia looks at the phone and something suddenly clicks. "Mr Holmes you need to go now." a nurse says. "She needs rest."

She hands him the phone.

"Sher." she says as she is being taken away. "Sher!"

Sherlock stands confused.

* * *

"What are doing here?" Sherlock asks Mycroft when they get to an airport.

"Come with me."

He takes him and John on to a plane with non living bodies sitting upright. "This plan was demised so no one could get hurt! But we wouldn't need to expose our mole."

"And the plane will fly itself."

"Oh it won't." Mycroft replies. "Thanks to the naively of a young female person."

"What's the royal person got to do with anything!?" Sherlock asks.

"I was not talking about her! I am taking about your daughter! Desperate to solve any puzzle providing she can hang on to what's left of her mother! We all lose people. We don't ruin a nation because of it!"

"Mycroft do you want me to hit you this time?" John asks.

"Oh no. He must be in order for when I make my bargain with him." Norton's voice says.

* * *

**An hour later at Mycroft's house...**

"I can't say it won't put a whole in the wealth of a nation..." begins Norton. "I would be lying. I can see why Irene loved your brother though. Very caring towards his daughter!"

Sherlock sits furious. John is sitting a bit away from Norton as well. He is watching as Sherlcok stares at the camera phone. "Irene always loved you above everyone else. That was clear. Shame she is not around now to see how good a father you really are."

Sherlock blinks and suddenly something hits him. Thought-wise.

"Perhaps you should make the phone call now. Millions of British citizens could be dependant on it."

"What is the point when I have the camera phone?" Sherlock asks before standing up. He smiles. "You said it yourself. The woman loved me! Certainly more than you. That phone was protecting her child. Who was the one person that she came to when her daughter was abducted? Me! She trusted me to find her child! You shouldn't have gone to Sophia about the phone in the first place but you thought you could use it as extra insurance! Oh but no! This one is from Sophia. My Burden figured it out. Took me a while to understand. But now I do. Irene always was one for cleverness. Even in her sentiment and this passcode all says Irene Adler."

He types it in and then shows the code to Norton.

It is now. **I AM SHER LOCKED**

"Your protection is gone and I think you should leave! Because you should fear me more than Moriarty! How much money do you owe him? You made the phone call when I was at the swimming pool!"

"So what?" Norton asks.

"Oh by the way..." Sherlock begins before making his second punch of the night. This time at Norton.


	21. Chapter 21

John steps in to Sophia's hospital room to find her sat upright and from the way her eyes look, she's been crying all night, therefore suggesting that she hasn't been sleeping. She is whiter that chalk and it has made her look like a ghost.

"Not much sleep then?" John asks, letting her know he's there.

She looks up and suddenly she smiles, very brightly. The sad thing about it, it's because she doesn't want any one to know that she's upset. "John."

"You know morphine is meant to make you sleepy." John states.

"Not if it's not going in your system. I kind of pulled it out but, I prefer pain killers." Sophia informs him. "So they're giving me them instead. I like to be awake you see."

"Sherlock figured out the password to your mother's phone. Norton's gone, probably. His last act of desperation didn't work out for him."

"What if he goes back to wanting my money?"

"He'll have to get by me, and Sherlock." John replies. He smiles widely before sitting down. "He cares about you know. He took a while longer to take to you that he did with me but, he took less time to take to you than anyone else I know."

"I think I reminded him of my mother. He tries to stop himself feeling emotion all the time. But when he actually does, it's a lot more than anyone else feels...Is he here?"

"No." John replies. Sophia's face falls a little but she composes herself. "I'm sure he'll be up though."

"Does anyone know anything about Lucien?" Sophia asks, John.

"Don't worry about it just now."

"I feel sort of stiff. In my shoulder. It's all tight." Sophia says. "I'm surprised I survived. Mother didn't and she had less of an injury than I did and she's so much stronger!"

"Sometimes you can do everything you can to save someone that's medically possible, and it'll work for one person. Then someone with the exact same injury could come along, exact same state of health and all that and if it's there time...they'll go."

"Then you get people like David Tennant, and Christopher Eccleston or Matt Smith and they just regenerate."

Sophia smiles. "You need to know, Sophia that you've got us. Me and Sherlock. Mycroft too. You're not alone. I know we' ll never replace your mother..."

"It would be difficult. She was really pretty!"

John laughs. "But we _are _here. When you decide to move on, it doesn't mean you're forgetting her. You're killing yourself while you walk around with a smile and talk about geek stuff and behind it all is a sad young woman."

"I miss her. I know that saying that won't bring her back but...I really do! Christmas there just didn't feel right without her and that's why I went a walk."

"You still haven't opened the presents that you got, yet. I can bring them up."

"OK. Or maybe I'll open them when I get let out."

"Maybe." John replies. "You'll get out soon."

"At least I'll get a few days off of school." Sophia replies. "Yeah. That's nice. A few days off of school...Where's Janet by the way?"

John goes to explain but Sophia can tell from his expression that they broke up. "Oh John, I'm sorry. What happened?"

"Just one of those things." John replies.

"To be honest...you could do better than a school teacher." Sophia tells him. "All they do is teach! Anyway...I'm sure you could get someone like...Well someone better!"

"You're trying to make me feel better, aren't you?"

"Yeah and it feels so awkward because I'm not good at this."

"Out of curiosity...pick someone. For me?"

"Like off the TV? Or..."

"Yeah if you like..."

"Harry Hill." Sophia jokes.

"Do you want me to slap you?" John asks.

"I'm really scared! But honestly...Catherine Tate or maybe even Sandra Bullock."

"Liking those. Especially Sandra Bullock. Wait a minute...she's older than me."

"Does she look older than you?"

"Good point." John replies.

* * *

**Two Days Later...**

Mycroft makes his way out of the elevator as he heads to his office. Sitting outside, carrying a tray of cakes, is Sophia.

"I'll go after I've given you these. I promise." Sophia tells him.

"You shouldn't be here." Mycroft says. "You should be resting in hospital."

"I wanted to talk." Sophia says. "Please."

"Of course." he replies before opening the door. She follows him inside "These are for you. To say sorry for what happened with the camera phone. I thought if I could keep it back that I could...stop Norton on my own and punish him for my mother's death. I thought that I could find out the code."

"You did." Mycroft reminds her.

"At the last minute."

She sits the cakes down on his desk. "I was wrong and the problem is that I find it really hard to admit that. I'm sorry for the trouble that I've caused."

"Sit down." Mycroft tells her. "I'll call someone to come and take you back to the hospital."

"No." Sophia replies. "I can get a taxi."

She sits down.

"I have something for you too." Mycroft tells her. He opens up his desk drawer and pulls out a file, with the camera phone inside. "We erased all the dangerous information but the rest of it that was was personal to your mother, and you...is still on it. It's yours to keep."

"About the flight...I realised I wasted years of work and I am so sorry."

"You weren't to know." Mycroft replies. "If I gave anyone around you that impression then I apologize. I didn't know all the facts. You thought you were helping us. You weren't the only one who made a mistake of trusting Lucien."

"I don't think his name is Lucien."

"What else do we call him?"

"Why try and kill me now?" Sophia asks Mycroft. "He had so many occasions."

"The file. Back up purposes. But you'd given Moriarty what he wanted. Why don't we make an agreement to not worry about this, again?"

"Right."

"And I'll be getting in touch with your school as soon as the holidays are over. You'll need work sent home for you to do."

"Some of the work is practical investigations."

"I'm sure you can do it at home. After all your father has already turned the place in to a laboratory and when you're better I want to see you about a project for you to do after school and all day during the summer holidays. For money of course. You don't get your inheritance until you're twenty one."

"Can I go home? I'm basically on painkillers and I want to know that _he_ is okay." Sophia tells, Mycroft.

"How about I drop you off myself, then?" Mycroft asks.

Sophia nods. "Thank you."

She hangs her head and feels her eyes sting with the salt water. "You can email me and let me know what you thought of your Christmas present as well."

"I haven't given out mine yet. I was going to do it Christmas day but...that kind of got messed up."

"You'll get there." Mycroft tells her.


	22. Chapter 22

She makes her way upstairs to the living room, and finds Sherlock looking into a microscope, examining a slide. She tries to say something but can't.

"I'm too busy to talk, John." Sherlock utters.

Sophia swallows. He doesn't even know it's her. She turns around makes her way downstairs to her room. When inside, she locks the door and sighs before going to her chair at her desk and sitting down. She leans back for a moment before taking the camera phone that her Uncle gave her out of her pocket.

She connects it up to her computer and and within an hour manages to get the IP address of the last network that had access to it. In half an hour she has breached the first firewall that is protecting the computer networks in secret service.

"Sophia; are you hungry?!" John asks, knocking her door.

"No! Feel sick." she shouts back. "I might go for a nap!"

She continues with what she is doing until she is asked for a username and password. "Well then. It's good job that I know my uncle's isn't it?" she asks aloud.

There's another knock at the door. "Sophia!" John shouts. "Come on upstairs. We can watch a film. Sherlock's completely ignoring me."

"Later, John!" Sophia shouts back. "I'm...I'm busy hacking the secret service."

She can hear John laugh as she logs in to her uncle's user area. "Come on, Soph!"

"I promise. Later! I promise!" she replies. "I just..."

She looks on shocked, to find that there's a folder entitled: **Sophia Adler**.

She clicks on the folder and opens it up. There's a document entitled, Sebastian Moran. "SM." she utters. "What's Sebastian Moran got to do with me? Of course. SM. The one who shot my mother. It must be!"

She opens up the document and inhales a deep breath. "Lucien. Or as you are really called. Sebastian Moran."

Just before she can read on the screen turns red with only the words: **ACESS DENIED! YOU ARE COMMITTING AN OFFENSE. **

She leaves the server and puts everything away before resting her head in her hands as she picks up breathing, while her heart rate increases. "Why do you people lie to me?" she asks.

* * *

Sherlock's experiment is interrupted with a phone call. "She's locked herself in her room and do you know what she says..."John begins.

"Hello, Mycroft!" Sherlock greets, his brother sarcastically, ignoring John.

"Where is your daughter?" Mycroft asks.

"John where is Burden?" Sherlock asks.

"Downstairs in her room." John replies. "Because I think you might have ignored her."

"Isn't she at the hospital?" he asks.

"Sherlock!" John exclaims, irritated.

"She's downstairs in her room." Sherlock informs Mycroft.

"She just hacked our networks. She's lucky she isn't being sent to The Tower of London."

"Well then your networks, should have better security if had a sixteen year old who is almost seventeen can hack it!"

John's eyes widen. "Oh my god she wasn't lying!"

Sherlock rolls his eyes and ends the call before heading downstairs. "I'll settle this."

He lock picks her door open and goes inside to find her struggling to breathe. "You're meant to keep your blood pressure down!" Sherlock tells her.

"You're not helping!" John says, running inside. "Take deep breaths."

"Lucien killed my mother!" Sophia says.

"Sweetie." John utters. "Calm down. You could give yourself a heart attack. There's already enough strain."

"I trusted him! All that time it was him! It was him who killed her!" Sophia tells them. "I can't take this anymore!"

"Well it's life. Suck it up!" Sherlock says before walking away out of her room. "And stop hacking Mycroft's computer!"

"Go away, bastard!" she shouts at him.

* * *

"You feeling better?" John asks, Sophia as he hands her a cup of tea. She nods quietly and swallows.

"Ignore him. He didn't mean anything by it. I think he was worried." John says.

"I don't honestly care anymore if there's someone out there who worries whether I'm alive or dead." Sophia replies. "Maybe I would be better of being the latter. What's the point of living if you only get hurt? When the emotional pain is so much greater than the physical?!"

John puts his arms around. "What's the point of being happy for a little while if you're going to be sad later?" she asks.

"The answer is of course, because you're going to be sad later." John tells her.

John pulls away from her and stands up. "I'm going to talk to Sherlock. I'll come back down in a while to make sure you're alright."

When John is upstairs, Sophia decides to go up there too to listen to what John is saying.

* * *

John steps in to the living room. "You were out of order! You told her to suck it up! Right when she was in the middle of a panic attack!"

"You know ever since she waltzed in to my life. I've had nothing but a burden!" Sherlock replies.

"What?!" Sophia asks, stepping in to the living room. "Is that so? Ever since I've met you! My life has been completely ruined! If anyone is a burden, it's you! If you didn't exist my mother probably wouldn't be dead, right now!"

Sherlock looks at her.

"Did that hurt?" Sophia asks, seeing the pain in his face. "Well now you know how every person feels when you open your big mouth! Let me tell you something else! I wish I had never met you! I take back what I said in the hospital!"

"Sophia..." John begins.

"No! I'm not finished!" she snaps. She turns back to Sherlock. "You're horrible! Not because of who you are but what you say and what you do! You hurt people and you don't care! It doesn't matter whether you're a genius or an idiot!...Or both like you really are! You're a prick! And I hate you! And you know why? Because you're capable of being the nicest man of earth and I can see that and yet you choose to humiliate, and ruin people. You ruined John's relationships! When are you going realize that?! And I hate you so much because out of all the people on this earth...you're one of the two that I trust! Now I know why mother loved you but left you."

Sophia turns around makes her way downstairs.


	23. Chapter 23

It's approaching the end of January and still Sophia has not gone back to school. She's much more able, now but still gets tired easily. No one recovers from a gunshot wound without at least a month of rest. She's done all the work she had been sent home, so she's taking her time off to browse the internet, watch tv and play video games. She logs in to her email and sees a new one from her uncle.

She rolls her eyes and reads it.

**Sophia; you're going to have to consider going back to school soon. You're much more capable now. Since Sherlock is not going to tell you this, then I'll have to take the duty on myself. **

**Mycroft. **

She waits a moment before typing her reply.

**I feel as though school is the last thing that I need right now, uncle. It's stressfull, time demanding and to be honest boring. I can't be bothered with it. Also, Sherlock Holmes probably won't tell me because him and I are not speaking! We never will! The End! I also don't want to talk to you either!**

**Sophia. **

She closes the email over and makes her way over to her bed before throwing herself in to it to bury her face in her pillow. She's not spoken to Sherlock for about a month as well. One moment he doesn't mind her being there and the next he's complaining about her. So she decided to stay away from him since then. That way he wouldn't have anything to complain about, on the other hand she knows what Sherlock is like and she can gather he'll find something to complain about.

"Sophia! John greets her when she eventually emerges from the darkness which is also known as her room. She rubs her eyes as the light hits it and lets out an enormous sigh.

"Hello, John." Sophia says.

"Hello, Sophia." John replies, quietly. "You not coming upstairs?"

"Going out." she replies.

"Oh you're guidance teacher called and she says that when you back to school next Monday you've to go and see her."

"I never said that I was going back to school." Sophia replies.

"Oh no I think Mycroft did. You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm going out." Sophia replies .

"You know if you're fit enough to go out then why are you not fit enough to go to school?" John questions.

"I'm going to see Mycroft."

She leaves the door and grabs a taxi, leaving John to sigh. His attempt to get Sherlock and Sophia talking to one another again was not as successful as he had hoped for. He makes his way back upstairs to find Sherlock on his laptop, typing.

"Blog?" John asks, thinking he's replying to something on his blog.

"Emailing." Sherlock replies. "Mycroft won't stop pestering me and now he's asking me what it was that I did. He's also wondering what he did! I don't honestly understand anything he says anymore."

"What you did?"

"He just asked me. What did I do? Then he asked me what he did. He has to be a little more specific than that."

"Maybe he meant it rhetorically." John suggests.

Sherlock closes the laptop over and makes his way to the window. "She must be feeling better!" Sherlock states.

"Who?"

"Adler."

"You mean Sophia."

"I mean Burden." Sherlock tells him.

"You know that isn't very nice."

"What isn't very nice?" Sherlock asks.

"Everything. Maybe the fact you call her Burden."

Sherlock moves towards his chair, walking over the coffee table to get there. "What else am I meant to call her?"

John sits down in his chair. "I don't know maybe, Sophia?" he replies, sarcastically.

"Boring." Sherlock replies.

* * *

Sophia steps in to Mycroft's office and closes the door. Mycroft looks up. "What do I owe the pleasure of your company?" he asks, sardonically.

"You told my guidance teacher that I would be in school! Next Monday! That's not fair! I told you that..."

"You're better, so you're going. It's obvious you are. You're here, shouting at me. Just what have I done to make you not want to talk to me except to tell me off?"

"You knew that Lucien was the man who killed my mother and you..."

"Now I know Lucien shot you and that he was working for Moriarty but that's not proof."

"I saw the file Sebastian Moran on your computer."

"You hacked the network but if you must know his name was changed when he came here! That file was in your folder because he was your bodyguard! What makes you think that Sebastian Moran or Lucien is the man who killed your mother?"

"Because that chip...the one from the casino. Under U.V light it said SM. Do you think it's a coincidence that those initials fit Sebastian Moran, the man who killed me? The man who also killed my mother? All this time! I trusted him! And he was..."

"Sophia. How many times do you need to be told to stop thinking about it. It's happened. You're going to make yourself ill if you worry anymore."

"I can't help it." Sophia replies.

* * *

When Sophia gets home she makes her way in to her room to find Sherlock searching through her books, and DVDs.

She swallows. "Bored. Looking for something interesting."

"So you thought you'd help yourself to my stuff?"

Sherlock turns around and draws her a look. "I didn't think you'd mind."

She picks up a box-set. "WhiteChapel. Exactly you're thing. Now take it and go!"

"I'm not going to apologise first." Sherlock suddenly states. Sophia turns around and stares at him.

"Well, you know what neither am I!" Sophia declares.

She walks to her door and opens it again, holding it open for him to leave. "Your visit has been sincerely devastating."

He begins to make his way to the door with the DVD box-set but before he leaves he turns around to face her. "I'm sorry." he says, sincerely.

She looks up at him in shock and then hugs him.


	24. Chapter 24

Sophia steps in to Mycroft's office in mid March. "You wanted to see me?" she asks, before slouching in the chair in front of his desk.

"I mentioned a project to you a few months back." Mycroft says. "I think now that you're much better, you'll be perfectly capable of taking part."

Sophia looks at him questioningly before folding her arms and yawning. "So what will I have to do in this project?'

"Well you'll be hacking us and helping us take out measures to prevent it. Testing programs. You and a bunch of other computer geniuses. Your chemistry skills will also come in use. Whatever your specialized subjects are we'll get you to do stuff. Investigations and all that. Even taking part in helping us with minor investigations going on in the ministry with the use of technology that are not on our priority list. Cold cases and all that."

"When will this be going on?" Sophia asks.

"Nine to five during the summer holidays. Six to nine on school days and five am to one pm on weekends."

"So is it a lot of geeks..."

"I wouldn't say geeks, Sophia. I'm only choosing people who are considered very good! Better."

"You consider me good enough to do this? Uncle Mycroft, I'm flattered!"

"It's a new program in the testing. Which means you're also my guinea pig."

Sophia swallows and feels ill. "I saw an animal testing lab a couple of weeks ago. I'm not ready to talk about guinea pigs."

Mycroft nods.

"I meant to ask did you like the watch I got you for your birthday?" Mycroft asks.

Sophia holds her wrist out for Mycroft to see it. "It's my favorite shade of blue."

She stands up. "So when does it start?"

"Next week. I expect you to be nice with the people you work with."

"Of course I will." Sophia replies.

"What's your favorite shade of blue?" Mycroft asks.

"Tardis, blue!"

* * *

One month later

"Moriarty is back." Sophia says to Mycroft when he comes to see her as she tests a new computer program. She leans back in the chair. "And my father has been called in as the star witness. Aren't you worried? I mean he can wrap the jury round his evil finger!"

Mycroft stands still and thinks about how he's going to break the news to Sophia about what he's recently learned. "Sophia. I came down here to talk to you about something else."

"Oh if it's the new program then I have found twelve bugs so far and I've already sent several reports and suggestions down to the..."

Mycroft shakes his head and Sophia looks at him. "Okay. What's wrong?" she asks.

"Norton was found dead this morning. We think Moriarty is tying up loose ends."

Sophia smiles. "Good!"

"Are you alright?"

Sophia nods. "I'm fine. I hated Norton."

"I know."

"I'm more worried that Moriarty is going to hurt my father or John or you. I can't lose you guys."

"Don't worry about it."

When Mycroft leaves Sophia turns back to her computer and mutters "oh but I do."

* * *

When Sophia gets home she finds Sherlock drinking tea in John's chair. "He's been here hasn't he?" she deduces, looking at the tea-cups. "Moriarty has been here."

"Yes. Moriarty has been here." Sherlock replies.

"Well I think he's the least of your worries right now. The press."

Sherlock looks up to Sophia and scoffs. "Not you as well! The press always turn and they'll turn on you! I got it off of John!"

"But it is true!"

"I don't care what people think of me." Sherlock replies.

"I do!" Sophia informs him, sincerely.

She turns around makes her way downstairs.

* * *

"I hate June! Exam month! It's so boring!" Sophia says as she packs what she needs for her final exam in June. "And not to mention it all my dad is in trouble with the papers and the police!"

"He'll sort it out. He always does." Mrs Hudson comforts her.

"Well I hope so!" Sophia says.

She glances at the workman in the flat before making her way out to go and do her exam. It's not until she's done it and she's making her way out of the school that she finds she's got a text message that's unread from earlier.

**Goodbye. Goodbye, Sophia Adler. It was so very, very nice to meet you! SH**

Sophia doesn't understand at first. "Oh no!" she says allowed. She breaks in to a run to try and grab a taxi. She doesn't know where to but she's almost run over by a black car. She jumps back on the pavement and Anthea steps out of it.

"Sophia. Your uncle wants to see you."

* * *

"He can't be!" Sophia says, in disbelief. "Please tell me that he's not! Please!'

"I wish that I could." Mycroft says.

She stands up and opens the door to leave. "Where are you going?"

"To the labs. I have to go and do my work." she replies.

* * *

She sits in silence as she reads over one of her lab reports. Her hands are shaking and so is the rest of her body. She doesn't know whether to cry or be angry. She chooses not to cry in the end. She had been doing it for a year almost.

She closes down the lab report and opens up a new document and begins to type a eulogy for Sherlock's funeral.

**Sherlock Holmes was the most arrogant man I have ever met in my entire existence! He was rude, ignorant, self-centred and to be quite frank a smart ass! But he was also a genius, a hero and the kindest man I've ever met. The papers have turned on him, people have lost faith in him but I never did. I trusted the man I knew and I knew him to be the real thing. He was there for me when I was at my lowest. I did not see a freak! I saw a sad and lonely man...**

* * *

"I saw someone who just didn't fit in with society. But that's alright because why fit in with boring people? Anything remotely interesting is a little mad. I know he didn't make up Moriarty. Moriarty killed my mother! And he loved my mother! Then Moriarty's man tried to kill me and as much as he struggled with the idea of me being his daughter, he would never have done anything to hurt me! He saved me and I saw him solve crime. So for the members of the press who are here to mock him remember this, how much money did you make off of all the stories of the crimes he solved? I knew the man I knew and I knew that he was real! He _was _a genius! Moriarty was real and I believe in Sherlock Holmes. Take that as a quote." Sophia speaks while trying to maintain some form of composure at the funeral service.

John squeezes her shoulder. "Come on." he says, pulling her away.

* * *

"Are you not coming to the graveyard?" John asks, Sophia when he and Mrs Hudson get ready to go in a taxi.

"No. I have to go and make a presentation about the reports I have on this program I've been testing."

"OK." John says.

Sophia closes the front door over and takes a deep breath before taking out her mobile and texting Sherlock even though she knows that she won't get a reply.

**Dad. I may have hated you more and more each day when you were acting like an arse. But I never loved you less! I loved you as much as I loved my mum and I'm sorry that you're gone! I didn't care than you were horrible to me sometimes. What am I going to do without you? Thanks for accepting me though. Emm...Tell God good luck from me because he's going to need it trying to get the last word with you. I'm rooting for you by the way!**

She clicks send and makes her way in to her room to get her presentation plan.


	25. Chapter 25

It's too warm in June, and it makes working at the ministry facility difficult for everyone involved. Nobody can wait to leave, some of them quit the acting projects when the heatwave started. Only Sophia stays behind well after finishing time to carry out experiments and examine cold case files. She keeps busy so she doesn't have to think about Sherlock being gone. She doesn't have to be reminded that she's basically alone -except for John, but he's got a job as well working at a hospital. So she rarely saw anyone, except for when Mycroft popped in now and then. She would be lucky if she had a ten minute conversation with someone, scattered across a week, and the thing was she didn't mind. It's best for her to be alone. She won't get hurt.

"You still here?" one of the technicians asks her.

"Yeah." she replies, too busy examining a slide under the microscope. He shakes his head and leaves. Kids were either not eager enough or too eager in his line of work. He thought it preposterous that they should be dealing with testing programs, fixing errors, looking in to cases, and hacking the systems.

Sophia writes down her report an hour later and begins to tidy up the apparatus. "And it would appear someone is still here." she hears her uncle says. He appears to be showing a group of people in to the lab. There's around six people. Two male adults in their mid thirties, and the rest are people Sophia's age, maybe a little older.

When Mycroft sees it is Sophia. "Of course it would happen to be my niece." Mycroft says. "Sophia has been working on a variety of different projects."

"Do you need me to leave?" Sophia asks him.

"Not at all." Mycroft says. "This is a group with a mixed bunch from MIT, Harvard and Yale." He gestures towards the two older ones. "These men are from the CIA. They are interested in our program."

Sophia just smiles and nods.

"Do you plan on going to university?" one of the older teenagers asks her. As she looks at him she begins to wonder if he's in his very early twenties.

"I might just live here for the rest of my life." Sophia replies.

"She does have a home believe it or not." Mycroft explains to them all. "We don't make you live here if you do decide to join us. Sophia was just going weren't you?" Mycroft looks at her and Sophia nods.

"Oh yes of course." Sophia replies, understandingly. "I do hope you'll find the place most adequate. Certainly there is lot's to do. After all there servers are constantly hackable and there programs have bugs and errors all the time. Not to mention there's a bunch of cold cases, which I've probably just about had twenty solved since I came here."

She left the room.

"Do excuse my niece. She's been having a hard time lately and she has become rather cynical." Mycroft explains to them.

"What's the matter?" one of the CIA men asks, Mycroft.

"Her father died. Before that she lost her mother." Mycroft explains.

* * *

Sophia begins to walk out of the building, making sure she's got enough money in her possession for a taxi. She might stop by the hospital to see John, but then she decides against it. So far they've both avoided the awkwardness of talking about Sherlock being gone. She even avoids Mrs Hudson. She's glad she doesn't have any friends. It means she doesn't have to talk to them about how she feels either, people pitying or worrying about her, but part of her just wants a hug - not just from anyone. From Sherlock. If he turned up, alive that would be what she'd do. Hug him. Right after she punched him in the face.

"Excuse me!" a voice shouts to her in an American accent. She turns around to see the same person who asked her if she was going to university.

"Yeah?" she asks.

"You left your phone." he informs her before holding it out for her to take.

"Thank you." she says, genuinely grateful.

She's about to walk away but he asks her a question, making her stop. "Are the servers really that hackable?" he asks her.

"It's as easy as setting fire to a zeppelin loaded up with Hydrogen."

"I take your point." he says, with a smile. "So chemistry is your area?"

"My area is lots of things. But chemistry is my favorite. My dad likes chemistry too. He has...had a framed periodic table. So I do that..." She stops, unsure why she's even telling him that. Perhaps it's his charming smile and his warm looking eyes.

"Is everyone as depressing as you are?" he suddenly asks her, jokingly.

"Worse. They're all pretty sane for people considered to be geniuses."

"So you believe that the line between genius and insanity is only measured by success then?"

"Yes and I also believe that the other people here aren't geniuses. See you later, Einstein." Sophia replies, getting ready to walk away again.

"Miss Holmes." he addresses her.

She swallows and feels her heart ache. Holmes. Miss Holmes. She's always been Adler but it's just a reminder that she's her father's daughter and that her father is dead. "Sophia Adler." she turns around and says, sadness in her eyes. "Thanks for bringing me my phone."

"You'll have to forgive me...I just assumed your name was Holmes because of that Mycroft Holmes."

"I have my mother's name." Sophia replies. "Thank you again."

She turns around and sees a taxi and she calls it. "You're welcome, Miss Adler." he says to her with a smile.

She gets in to the taxi and switches her phone on. She's got several missed calls from Lestrade. She's ignoring him. Especially after all the newspaper reports, and the way the police treated her father in the end. She'll talk to him eventually.

She moves to her phone book and down to Sherlock's number. That's when she decides to send the thirty third text message since he died.

**Well today was as boring as ever. Hey do you fancy watching some Murdoch Mysteries? **

She puts the phone back in her pocket and sighs, while she can't help but feel like her life is going to drag in slowly as she waits to die.


	26. Chapter 26

Sophia wakes up in the morning to realize she's overslept. She sighs and gets up, and after forty five minutes she's rushing out the door. At first she doesn't see that someone is standing outside waiting on her but when she does blinks. "Are you Sophia Adler?" a man asks her, with a Russian accent.

She at first wonders whether or not that she should answer the question. Then she takes a look at it him, and observes the black wire that's meant to be hidden in his shirt. "Yeah and you're really Russian."

"I am willing to listen to you." he says, switching to a British accent.

Sophia looks at him and grits her teeth. "Listen to me? Do you think I care who listens to me? It won't matter whether I'm ignored or not, I will always believe in what my father was!"

She catches a taxi to get to the facility before quietly making her way in to the computer room. As soon as she sits at her computer someone speaks to her. Usually, she's ignored and she likes it that way but oh no, not this day.

"Mornings can be stressful." the American from the previous day say to her. She looks at him, realizing that he's staying to take part in the course that's nothing more than her uncle's solution to the amount of legwork that he and his people have to that need done.

She looks around before turning back to him. Yesterday, she was ignoring him because she wanted to go home and she wanted to be on her own, but today when everyone was around her in the room, she wasn't trying to be alone because she couldn't. Now she'd slowed down, was taking things in. Something about him hits her, that she has never noticed about anyone before. She's never sought out relationships of any form or noticed people's looks but part of her can't help but find him extremely attractive. His eyes are blue - not the same shades as hers. The kind of blue that you could you swim in. He smiles as she stares at him, unaware that she's being a little obvious.

"Mornings." she eventually utters, quietly.

"Do you have any idea why they are getting people like us to do this work?" he asks her, leaning in a little and making her swallow. He inhales the scent of her hair. "Your hair smells nice."

"That'll be the shampoo, I use." Sophia replies. "And I imagine it's because they want us to do the work they can't be bothered doing, have an attempt at making secure servers and probably because they're needing their main staff for something else. I don't honestly believe the whole thing about the government wanting us to take party in how the country..."

Someone coughs behind her and she turns around to see Mycroft. "I would like a word." Mycroft says, affirmatively.

"Can't it wait?" Sophia asks.

"No." he replies, firmly.

She's about to walk out of the room with Mycroft. "My name's Alex by the way." he calls after her. She turns around.

"Oh I'm Sophia." she replies, quickly.

"Yes. I know. Found that out yesterday."

Mycroft draws her a look and she continues on her way out.

* * *

Sophia looks at Mycroft. "What's up?" she asks.

"You haven't informed me that you're still being bothered by members of the press." Mycroft tells her. "I would like to know."

"I can deal with them." Sophia replies.

"No you won't! I will!"

"Like you dealt with Moriarty?" Sophia asks.

Mycroft looks taken aback, and sad for a moment.

"I didn't mean that." Sophia replies.

"I know you didn't." Mycroft replies.

* * *

At the end of the day, Sophia is making her way to the chemistry lab when she almost bumps in to someone. She looks up to meet eyes with Alex. "Alex, isn't it?"

"Yeah. You remembered. Actually I'm Alex Newman."

"Alex. Alex Newman. Whatever. Nice to meet you."

She's about to walk on and he pulls her back. "Why do you always stay behind late?"

"Why are you staying behind late?" she asks, raising her eyebrows.

"You're answering a question with a question. That's clever." he tells her. "Very...intriguing, don't you think?"

"Not as intriguing as why you keep stalking me?" Sophia replies.

"You think I'm stalking you?" Alex asks.

"Yes; I do! Everywhere I've been today, you've turned up!"

"I cannot help that I am really fortunate to be able to meet you so many times in the one day."

She turns around and begins to walk on. "I understand!" he shouts.

She turns around and looks at him before walking over to him. "What exactly do you understand?"

"Why you stay behind."

"What? You asked me why I stayed behind."

"Was trying to make conversation."

"Fine then. Tell me why I stay behind."

"You don't want to go home where you'll be alone. You miss your father."

She looks down at the floor, and takes a deep breath because she knows it's true. Baker Street is not Baker Street without Sherlock Holmes. "The papers..." she begins to explain.

"Are wrong." Alex says, in a matter of fact tone that's also sincere.

She looks at him and doesn't know what to say, what to feel or what to do. "I am sorry but I don't think that I heard you correctly...Did you just say that you think the newspapers are wrong?" she asks him, in disbelief, the rest of the latter adjective written across her face. With a swallow she continues to speak. "The newspapers say that my father was a fraud, and that he kidnapped children. His suicide was because he couldn't live with himself. Why do you believe that he's..."

He just nods and interrupts her. "Well it was nice seeing you." he says, not even answering her question. Eventually after a moment of long, deafening silence he talks again. "I'll see you tomorrow." He begins walking away, with the suit jacket he was wearing over his shoulder, leaving Sophia still in a state of shock.


	27. Chapter 27

Sophia is walking through London's Streets in Canary Wharf as she investigates something for a cold case from the ministry. That's when her phone begins to ring. It's Lestrade again. This time she decides to bite the bullet and answer. "Detective." she utters, neither sounding pleased or displeased to take the call from him. Before the incident of her father committing suicide cropped up, she used to quite like Lestrade. He was always nice to her and she thought he was a good detective. But he didn't publicly stand up and defend her father even though Lestrade still believed in him. That's what was making her angry.

"Sophia; I am just calling to make sure you're alright." Lestrade explains. "I know that I am the last person you want to speak to but..."

"Don't bother beginning to explain anything alright."

"Sophia. Listen..." he begins to plead.

She sighs, heavily. "Look...Tell me you think his suicide was not a clever murder plan. You tell me that. Dad didn't do what he was accused of!"

"I know that." Lestrade replies.

"Do you?" Sophia asks. "All the evidence you seem to have gathered say otherwise."

"Your father was my friend."

"Then listen to this. Did my father jump to commit suicide or did he jump to protect someone or someones? Why else would Moriarty play this game of ruining my father's reputation...and if he did jump to protect people...How much do you want to bet that it was for you? But did you take a leap and actually defend him?! No! You went diplomatic."

"No. I handled the press the way you're meant to, while I searched for evidence to prove that your father was innocent. Watch the news tomorrow." he replies before ending the call. Sophia lets out a gigantic sigh and then takes her phone out to text Mycroft.

**Was definitely him! Security footage shows him in that building on that day. Vantage point to use a sniper rifle to put a bullet in your politician's head. Case closed. SA**

* * *

"You were out all day." states the project leader for the computer forensic department. "Are you going to be doing that while you're at university?"

She's suddenly aware that everyone is staring at her, even Alex. Although he is actually smiling. He is probably the only one in the room who has probably predicted what she is about to say in reply to the perturbed manager. For once she thinks about not replying out of a lack of energy to stand up for herself; or perhaps a lack of self belief.

"Well?" he prompts her. His attitude in doing so makes her snap back in to "I am taking none of your insolence mode" and she makes sure her posture is straight, as she folds her arms.

She puts on a smile, a sardonic one at that. "Well if you must know I was out solving a cold case that I think Britain's best could not solve on their own. I can't imagine why they couldn't! I mean...well actually I can. I am surprised you noticed me with all these people here. But then again, you must miss someone who actually proves your services as a secret service is absolute garbage! I am flattered. Now if you don't mind I would like to take my seat without further interrogation from you."

She strolls over to her computer and realises that Alex is sitting at the computer next to hers. "There's plenty of computers." Sophia states to him as she sits down.

He looks around. "Oh yeah!"

"Why that one?"

"I chose this one. It's the best place to sit." he replies with a grin. "By the way has anyone ever told you how brilliant you are?"

"Not in a long time." Sophia replies honestly. Too truthfully and took quickly that it has its frightened her. She isn't that open with people she doesn't know.

"Who was that?" he asks as he types away.

"My mother." she replies, honestly. "Then she died. She was murdered."

"Your mother must have been very beautiful and very clever." he comments to her.

"Yeah she was." Sophia agrees, losing the whole world around her as she thinks about her mother.

"Logic dictates it. Explains why you're so clever and have a face that a man die for." he continues.

"Oh she was great." Sophia continues. She hasn't registered the compliment she has been given. "She could sing and play piano and she could kick ass."

She looks over to Alex and smiles one of those bright smiles that only sad people can pull off. "What's your mother like?"

"Caring. Normal mum. I am her favourite out of me and my brother. But she says she doesn't have one."

"So you have a sibling? Younger or older?" she asks. This is the first time she has managed to engage in a conversation without embarrassing herself.

"Older. By two years roughly. We don't get along." he replies.

"Reminds me of my father and my uncle." Sophia tells him. "Major sibling rivalry. One day my dad hit my uncle."

"Oh I have hit my brother loads up of times." Alex replies. "He deserved it."

"I can't comment, I don't have a sibling."

"Why did you choose to do this project?" Alex asks. "Because your uncle asked you or..."

"Yeah." Sophia replies. "And I was recovering. From a gunshot wound to the chest. I had messed up so much. Especially...something happened and I felt that I let my uncle down and when I first began this I wanted to make up for it...but then I realised...what am I going to do once I leave school? I never have thought about it."

"I think you can become whatever you want and you should take this project to its full potential value it could have to any career. I am studying computer forensics at MIT. This will help. Maybe even get me working with the government in America, maybe here. And it also gives me some money to pay for my educational needs."

"I spend my money on...stuff."

"What do you spend your money on? That's a personal question and I am regretting asking it."

"Computers, doctor who memorabilia, box sets, food...music and stuff. I can see you buy suits as well."

"My grandfather is a tailor." Alex replies.

"Oh." Sophia utters, nodding.

* * *

Sophia logs off the computer at seven o'clock and stands up. Everyone is gone. She stayed to make up for lost time while she as been in Canary Wharf. While making her way to the exit, all the doors close over and the lights go off, suggesting the place is in lockdown. An emergency lockdown.

She makes her way to the security room to try and find the guard but he isn't there. Sophia removes her phone from her pocket and texts her uncle.

**Why is this place in lockdown? I do want to go home. SA**

While waiting on a reply she begins to walk around, her phone in her hand while she waits on the reply. When she gets to the lab, she types the code to get on through the door and she walks in to find one of the chemist technicians lying on the floor surrounded in a pool of blood.

The next thing Sophia knows is that there is the clicking sound that a gun makes when it is being cocked and it is coming from right behind her. Looking at her attacker in the reflection of a filing cabinet, she puts her hand back and grabs the gun before turning around and pointing it at the fire alarm switch, while he fires. After a struggle she knees him in the stomach and takes the gun off of him, surprised at what she had managed to do.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, him.

* * *

Mycroft stands and looks at the four people who have broken in to the ministry facility. "Starting this project was never a good idea Mr Holmes. It has detailed reports of every weakness you have and we are going to use it."

"Oh are you?" Sophia's voice asks.

As soon as the leader of the group turns around she fires and shoots one of the other's in the arm as they go for a gun. "Don't think about it!"

* * *

"That's why I couldn't answer your text message." Mycroft explains to Sophia. The adrenaline is gone for her and the reality on that she has killed someone and injured a few others sinks in.

"Are you alright?" Mycroft asks.

"Yeah." Sophia replies. "I am fine."

"But are you?" he asks, again.

"I don't know."

The door to Mycroft's door bursts open and John comes flying in. "Sophia...I just heard! I was so worried!" he rambles.

"I am fine." Sophia replies. "Although I suggest that my uncle keeps things more secure next time."

"You're going home, now!" John says. "You're going to rest and you're not coming here tomorrow. You're in shock because I said it."

"Alright John." Sophia replies.

She gets up and follows John out of Mycroft's office.


	28. Chapter 28

The next morning Sophia wakes up to find that John's watching television in Baker Street's living room. "Aren't you meant to be at work?" she asks, sleepily.

"I quit." John replies, honestly.

Sophia sits down in her father's chair and swallows. Now she's going to have to engage in awkward conversation. The fear of Sherlock being brought up and hurting both of them is too overwhelming. Almost as if the television is reading her thoughts, the news comes on and they actually begins to talk about him, making Sophia remember what Lestrade had said the day before.

_Evidence that had once suggested Sherlock Holmes, the fake boffin had kidnapped two children has now lost its integrity due to further investigation from Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade from Scotland Yard. Now it just poses the question that if Sherlock Holmes really didn't take part in the kidnapping of those children; then was he really a fake?_

Sophia stands up and walks over to the television before switching it off. "Are you okay?" she asks John.

"Yes I'm fine. I've got tea." John replies.

"Well if tea can contribute to being fine then that's almost like saying cereal can contribute to..."

"I don't need one of your analogies." John tells her. "Anyway, you've been avoiding me."

"No I've not!" Sophia denies, before sitting back down. She folds her arms and looks around the room, so she doesn't make eye contact with John.

"You don't have to be worried about upsetting me." John tells her. "You're a clever girl."

"If cleverness was a guarantee of pleasant social interaction, then my father would be considered a saint." Sophia replies, quickly.

"How much coffee have you had this morning?" John asks, knowing that she gets more and more opinionated, the more caffeine she has.

"About six. I couldn't sleep, for thinking about what uncle Mycroft and his enemies are up to."

John picks up the newspaper. "You think he's up to something? Why? Because he's in the British Government? Because he deals with politics, and weapons and..."

"If those were factors that made people untrustworthy then that means soldiers, and all journalists should not be trusted. Or anyone with an ability to express opinion with the use of circumlocution."

"Well you can't really trust soldiers..." John begins.

"Which would mean logic would be failed in this sense because you're a soldier and I trust you with everything." Sophia replies.

John looks at her and smiles, sadly and brightly. He is utterly touched. He always thought that the two people Sophia trusted the most were Sherlock and Mycroft, but now he realizes that it's him.

"Alright then. What makes you think Mycroft and his enemies are up to something?" John inquires, shaking his head.

"He starts up this facility and gets in some of the most intelligent people in Britain and from his sister agencies like the CIA who then get some of their braniacs involved. Why? What is it that we're doing? Apart from the very fact that we've been creating bombs in the chemistry lab and examining cold cases, we've also been developing a stronger firewall and testing hacking capability of other people trying to get in to the server. While that's going on, why aren't the other agents investigating these cold cases?"

John leans forward. "So you think Mycroft is expecting some sort of attack and he's trying to make sure resources are put forward correctly?"

Sophia tilts her head from left to right. "Well..."

The doorbell rings suddenly and Sophia sighs. She looks at her watch. "Eleven o'clock in the morning. That's not the postman with a package, because he comes around three. It's not the postman with a letter because he'd put it through the door. None of us are expecting anyone. Which means it's either a news reporter, a..."

John stands up and makes his way down, making Sophia stop in her tracks. "Well if you don't want me to finish, I'm not really bothered." Sophia states, haughtily. She begins drumming her hands on the sofa's arm chair.

John who is now downstairs make his way over to open the door. When he does he's face to face with none other than Alex Newman. "Hello." John says, with frowned eyebrows.

Alex breaks into a smile. "I'm looking for Sophia."

"Who are you?" John asks, sternly. "In fact, clear off. She's not selling her experience about her father's suicide or..."

"You think I'm a journalist or news reporter don't you? Well I'm not. I work at the ministry research facility and Sophia is the person I sit beside. She didn't come in today and when I inquired after her..."

"Who are you to Sophia?" John butts in. "If you're not a reporter or a journalist?"

"I think we're friends." Alex replies, with a smile. "She's very interesting."

"You think she's interesting? You should see her just now, when she's in one of her coffee six plus moods. She's in shock and company would be too exhausting for her."

"I have her project folder." Alex says, showing it to John.

"I will see that she gets it." John replies, getting ready to take it from him.

"I would very much like it if I could talk to her." Alex says as he stops John taking the project. John proceed to close the door but Alex stops him, putting his hand out to stop it.

"John. You've been away for a while." Sophia's voice suddenly says. "I assume it was neither a report, or..." she begins until she sees Alex. He waves and she freezes.

"Apparently you two know each other." John states.

"Alex aren't you meant to be at the facility?" Sophia asks, her eyebrows frowned.

"Aren't _you_ meant to be at the facility? What happened? No one is telling us anything and your uncle sent me over with your project book."

"Well...I...I..." she tries to begin.

"You are in shock." Alex notices. "You can hardly speak."

John looks from Alex to Sophia and Sophia to Alex and makes an O shape with his mouth. "If not speaking...related to umm...shock then...mutes would be in a constant state of it." Sophia replies.

Alex snickers and they end up staring at one another.

"I'm currently in shock right now and I can speak fine!" John finally interrupts.

Sophia walks over to Alex and hesitantly takes her project. "They thought the firewalls were finally working." Alex informs her.

"Really? They were?"

"No. You weren't there and I was running late."

"Oh." she nods. "Well thank you again for bringing my project. Just like you did when I left my phone in the lab."

"You must forget a lot of things." Alex says.

"Yeah. Like people." John adds, suddenly finding this suddenly amusing.

"I am glad you're okay. It would be a shame to lose a smart person to sit next to." Alex continues.

"Smart?" Sophia asks. "I'm not smart. I'd have to lose a lot of IQ points to be considered just smart."

"How many? Four million?" Alex asks, shocked.

"Now that is flattery. I believe you're trying to make up for your earlier error where you inadvertently insulted me."

"I assure you it was unintentional and it was merely the wrong word." Alex replies.

"Sophia, I read in the TV magazine that they were getting The Doctor on ITV 2 in two minutes. I forgot to tell you." John says to Sophia.

"Oh really?" Sophia asks. She looks at Alex. "I have to go. Doctor Who! By."

She shuts the door over and runs upstairs. "Worked liked a charm." John says to himself.

* * *

"It must have been a dream I had." John says, trying to cover up for his lie he told earlier. "By the way are you and Alex...you know."

"I am afraid I don't follow what you're saying? Oh wait actually I think you do. You think Alex and I are in some sort of a relationship that would result in trips to the coffee store, and social events which you would call dates?"

"Yes." John replies.

"So far it's just coffee." Sophia replies.

"So far?"

"Well I'm not the Tardis; I don't have the ability to the predict the future. I say what is, not what could be." Sophia answers him, before sitting down on the sofa.

"How old is he?" John asks.

"I didn't think age had anything to do with this?" Sophia replies. "But just in case it does, to answer your question, he turned twenty years old in May."

"How long have you know him for?"

"Two or three days." Sophia replies.

John sits in his chair. "I can see why he might appeal to you."

"If by appeal you mean have me attracted to him, then I'm afraid that's a misconception. The most I want out of Alex Newman is his friendship, which I know will come with insights in computer forensics, and firewall encoding and decoding."

"Why are you over talking everything today?" John asks.

"I've had coffee, so I have the energy to actually complicate things."

"Or maybe you're trying to keep up you skills of doing that to try and impress Alex Newman." John suggests.

"Oh there's no need for that, I've already done that." Sophia replies.

John shakes his head.


	29. Chapter 29

Mycroft looks up when his office door opens. In steps a tall man in his late thirties. "Mycroft Holmes." utters the man, his hands in his pockets. Mycroft gestures for him to sit down but doesn't speak.

"You're aware of why I'm here, aren't you?" he asks.

"Yes; I am. And I know why Alex Newman is here. Don't think that for one moment flattery on his part is going to get Sophia to help you, with Alicia Winterdale."

"America have already got a young genius in there, so I can't send Newman in and you know that!"

"Edwards!" Mycroft says, seriously. "Sophia is much better off doing her firewall upgrading..."

"Has your niece questioned you, yet? I'm surprised she hasn't. Although she's raised her suspicions about this whole project to Alex." Edwards replies.

"My niece is not getting involved in this Alicia Winterdale, fiasco! There is a hundred more candidates for you to choose from or better yet...don't lose your information in the first place!"

"We'll see! Because if she volunteers then you can't stop her." Edwards replies. "Her mother was one of us at one point."

"She isn't her mother! Her mother and father are both dead! Do you honestly think that what that girl needs is more danger?"

* * *

Alex walks out of a London Starbucks coffee shop to bump in to Edwards. "I'm not doing it." Alex says to him, in a final tone. "I said I would help you establish international relationships and put my MIT skills to use and help you, but I'm not messing with someone's feelings!"

"You've been talking to this girl..."

"Yes because it's genuine! The minute I do it for your stupid mission or whatever; it's not!" Alex replies.

* * *

"I'm going to go out for a while." John says to Sophia who is sitting on the sofa watching NCIS: LA. "Phone me if you need me."

"You've been through this around ten times now. I think someone with my intellectual capability would have gotten the message."

John smiles. "Remember; if the door goes I don't want you to answer it unless you know who is on the otherside."

"I know, John!" Sophia replies.

He's gone forty five minutes, give or take, when the door bell rings. She gets up and goes downstairs to answering and opens the door. "Alex!" she utters, when she sees him. "It's been like five hours since you were here."

"You were counting. I'm honored." Alex states.

"I just wasn't expecting you."

He nods. "Listen; I was wondering if we could talk?"

"You know what come in?" Sophia replies.

"Thank you."

He follows her upstairs to the living room. "Nice place." he comments.

"Thanks." Sophia replies.

"What do you for fun?" Alex asks suddenly. "I mean if you were to spend time with someone, other than your guardians or your online people and your fictional characters. Imagine...you had someone who wanted to spend that time with you."

"I don't know. It depends."

"On what?" Alex asks, sitting next to her on the sofa.

"On who I'm spending time with. Is it a friend, an enemy, an animal, a fictional chara..."

"I said no fictional characters!" Alex tells her.

"So that rules out the Doctor and The Tardis then? I'm not amused!" Sophia replies. There's silence and then she clicks. "Oh you mean if you and I were to spend time together?"

"Well if you're asking...yeah."

"I thought..." she begins. "But...You."

He laughs before leaning in to the point they're kiss close. "You're different here in Baker Street than you are in the labs, and computer rooms. But the same person at the same time. You're such a paradox. You're something else. I shouldn't be so attracted to you, and so soon, but I am. Don't feel bad, it's not your fault that you're so brilliant."

Sophia feels a little unusual. She feels like she can't breathe very well and she doesn't need a mirror to know that her pupils are dilating, and her heart rate is suddenly elevating.

"I'm really not as brilliant as I make out to be." she suddenly says quietly. "I just say that so I don't hate myself too much."

"Shh. Nonsense." he whispers before pressing his lips against hers. She's in disbelief for the reasons why he's suddenly attracted to her but she's not too surprised by his recent action. It was obvious the moment he leaned in to her. When they break away, Sophia turns to stare at the wall and begins to think, unsure of what to do next, and how the conversation should go.

"You look confused." he says, brushing her hair back.

"Do I?" she asks, somewhat glad he started another conversation.

"A bit." he replies.

"Okay!" Sophia utters.

"Do you want to come back to the facility and see the program I've been working on?'

"Allons-y then." Sophia replies, standing up.

* * *

They step in to the computer room and make their way to their usual computers, mostly everyone has gone home. Sophia finds a magazine on her desk. "Alicia Winterdale. Looking for a bright and British genius." Sophia reads aloud. "Someone must have left this behind."

"Feel free to read that." the voice of Edwards, says from behind her. "I hear she's struggling for the right talent and from what I hear Miss Adler you're nothing less than a genius."

Alex draws Edwards a look. "Can I talk to you outside?" Alex asks him. "Sophia wait here."

* * *

When Alex steps back in to the room, Sophia is typing away into her computer. "I sent Alicia Winterdale and email according to the requirements in the magazine thing."

"Why?" Alex asks.

"Because...I'm bored of this place and she's got a virtual simulator which you get to try out. She claims it's ten times better than the one's the government use for training purposes. How can I resist? She believes that we can even actually go in to TV one day as if you're with the characters! How wonderful is that? I'm not passing down this opportunity because one day I could be in the Tardis!"

"Well..."

There's a dinging noise on the computer. "That'll be a reply." Sophia says, cheerfully. "So quick." She reads it and smiles. "Yay; I get to go. And I have a plus one!"

Alex sees Edwards peering in through the window and he grits his teeth. "I don't think John can make it that weekend. I know he's visiting his sister."

"Why don't I come?" Alex asks. "I would love to get a taste of the computing aspect and with me a member of MIT then I'll be a very esteemed guest."

"Well I suppose if you hadn't asked me to come here to show me your new program then I wouldn't have found out about this brilliant woman that is Alicia Winterdale. I owe you one. So you can be my plus one. Or double negative, one."

"Sophia, are you sure you want to go?" he asks. "You just got over a traumatic experience."

"This will help." she replies quietly. She frowns suddenly. "I'm sure I've seen that guy in here before."

"What guy?" Alex asks, doing everything in his power not to look at the door.

"Nothing. It's just one of those things." Sophia replies. Her coffee rush has worn off and she feels exhausted. "I think I'm going to go home now."

"Sophia. I have to tell you something..." Alex begins.

"Yeah?"

The door opens and Edwards steps in. "Mr Newman a word." Edwards interrupts.

"I'm just going to get a taxi home." Sophia tells Alex. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah. I will email you." Alex says as she makes her way out of the door.


	30. Chapter 30

"If you tell her what's happening then she'll think that from the beginning, your friendship came at the price of you needing her help." Edwards explains to Alex. Alex looks at him, with contempt in his eyes.

"Listen here, Agent Edwards...I didn't want her help. You wanted mine. You're going to have to find someone else to help you, because if I'm going to help anyone now, it's her."

Edwards shakes his head. "She's lost her mother, lost her father, has had people to trust and they've let her down. Do you honestly think she'll trust you if you tell her, about me, and the computer chip that's hidden in a pair of simulation glasses? You'll hurt her if you tell her the truth. She'll be in a lot of pain. Do you really want that?"

Alex goes to speak but is not sure what else he can say.

* * *

"So we're basically going to dine with the wicked witch, then?" Alex questions, Sophia while she examines the schedule for the weekend. Alex is looking over her shoulder to the evening's events.

"It would seem so. It says it on the menu. Why do you call her the wicked witch?" inquires, Sophia and she turns around to face him eye to eye, having to lean back a little so she doesn't end up accidentally locking lips with him. When she leans back she goes to fall and he pulls her up.

"Because I don't get good vibes from her." Alex replies, honestly. She wants him to pull away and let go, or kiss her but at the moment he's just holding her, stopping her from falling backwards. Doing nothing, and making her want something. A few moments of silence, and staring at each other's eyes later, Sophia moves her arms around his neck to balance herself even more.

"I need you to know something..." Alex begins in a serious tone. She looks at him even more intently and in her eyes he can see sheer agony, and sadness.

"Yeah?" she asks, concerned.

He can't tell her. Edwards words keep scraping away in his mind. "I think you're smarter than Alicia Winterdale and I think we should just leave this place and go hack government agencies together."

"Well I agree with the point that I'm much smarter than Alicia Winterdale and I absolutely agree we should hack government agencies together, but right now I want to see the most amazing simulator ever."

"Fine. Whatever you want." he replies, pulling away from her. He picks up his mobile. "Going to make a phone call."

She nods and sits down.

* * *

Alicia Winterdale glances around the table at the many kid geniuses that she's brought in from all over the world; brought in for one purpose; to hack the microchip implanted into the simulation glasses she has acquired from the government in the US. They're all chatting away amongst one another, but at the end of the table is the one girl, amongst them all, she's not making conversation with anyone but her accompanying 'friend' and even at that she's holding very little conversation.

The rest of the young people are arguing about proton capture. Typical of young people to be at one thing, and discuss something completely different, or should she say typical of all the candidates she has looked at.

"Miss Adler, you don't want to join in on this conversation?" Alicia asks.

Sophia looks up and glances over to the other people around her age, who're now staring back at her, condescendingly.

"I'm afraid I'm past the days of expressing my knowledge on the subject, I did enough correcting for my teachers when they were teaching it to the rest of the class." Sophia replies. "And it's alpha particles, and beta particles, not rays. Gamma is the only one that gives out rays. Oh look, I just actually went back on my word and corrected them."

The Swiss candidate chose to speak up. "In all fairness another person may have been listening in to the conversation and would have realized that we are not too familiar with the subject."

Sophia snorts. "Another person might care, and just out of curiosity, why talk about something you're not familiar with and think you're going to be correct?"

* * *

Alicia looks at her computer as she talks in to a bluetooth headset. "Interesting girl that Sophia Adler. I'm rechecking over her questionnaire. Very on the ball; much more accurate than the other ones."

She listens to reply on the other end. "Really? Isn't that delightful? I do love irony. I think it's time I make Miss Adler's acquaintance, alone. Let's make her skills useful."

Alicia stands up and takes off her headset and puts it on the desk before walking over to the intercom. "Bring Sophia Adler to my office, and make sure she's on her own." she orders, through the microphone. "I don't want anyone else to know she's coming to see me."

She sits back down and brings up the security footage as she waits on her arrival of Mycroft Holmes' niece. "Oh yes, dear I know who you are and this is going to be so, so, wonderful."

* * *

"You were very entertaining during dinner." Alex says to Sophia bitterly.

"I'm glad you found my correction of so called geniuses, enjoyable..."

"Stop talking." Alex says, putting a finger on her lips. He smiles, when she looks at him confused, breaking his bad mood. "You did enough of that downstairs."

"No. Make me!" she replies, pulling his hand down. He grabs the back of her head and pulls her in to kiss him. She's so fascinating to him, that he can't help himself. But there's guilt there, and it's lingering in the back of his mind, and it's all so complicated. He wants to pull away away, but she begins to kiss back. The first time he kissed her in Baker Street, she relaxed in to it, but didn't respond too much.

There's a knock at the door and Sophia pulls away, leaving Alex to take a deep breath as she goes to answer it. "Miss Winterdale would like to see you, on your own please." Alex hears one of the staff say to Sophia.

"Of course." Sophia replies.

* * *

"Come in." calls Alicia as soon as Sophia gets to the door. Sophia opens the door and glances around.

"Sit down, dear." Alicia says, in a very sweet voice. The sort of voice that people use to sugar coat, an ulterior motive, in stories. It sort of gives Sophia the creeps but she sits down anyway. Alicia does not fail to notice Sophia giving the glasses on the desk a glance.

"I've realized that the other candidates, have no potential."

"Was that before or after they started and argument on how to carry out a simple chromatography experiment?" Sophia inquires.

Alicia chuckles. "To tell you the truth, Sophia. I got mostly all this equipment on knowing the right people and exploiting their talents."

Sophia tilts her head. "Now I would like to exploit yours."

"Explain." Sophia utters.

"I want you to hack a microchip in this emulator." she replies, before handing the glasses to Sophia. "The most brilliant form of simulation. In only glasses. Put them on."

"And who did you exploit these from?" Sophia asks.

"The CIA." she replies. "You know CIA agent, Drake Edwards, don't you?"

Sophia frowns. "Of course I assume you're here because of your uncle's wishes." Alicia continues.

"I'm here because I saw the magazine advertisement." Suddenly she clicks. "What do you know about my uncle?!"

"Oh dear. Mycroft Holmes, has you wrapped around his finger and then you even try to..."

She stands up, and puts the glasses in her pocket. "Are you making a break for it, dear?" Alicia asks.

"I'm taking these to my uncle."

"Do you think I'll let you?"

"You are unarmed! I think you have little say. You've not got any major security in this place, and to be quite frank..."

"Oh do shut up!" Alicia butts in. "For once you're wrong."

The door opens and two men, carrying heavy machine guns, walk in. "You see Miss Adler, I can play the charming part of the clever host, or I can be your worst enemy."

* * *

"Someone's hacking us through the glasses." Edwards say to Mycroft over the phone.

"Winterdale?" Mycroft asks, in reply.

"I think so." Edwards replies. "And the two people who could probably stop her, are at her house."

"Excuse me!?" Mycroft asks.

* * *

Two hours later

"Wonderful job, Sophia." Alicia says, when Sophia is done. "I'll be able to sell this for a fortune."

Before Sophia can reply or Alicia can gloat anymore the door burst open, and several army workers burst through the door. Sophia takes the glasses of and puts them in her pocket. "I didn't really hack them." Sophia replies. "Just a virtual copy of them, that they copied from the one I made of Britain."

She leaves the room and makes her way up to hers, making a phone call to her uncle midway. Alex is in there and he's sitting on the sofa inside. She sits beside him. "You know...Drake Edwards. Isn't that the guy from the lab?"

"Yeah." Alex says nodding.

"The one who wanted to _you. _The same day you led me to the lab..."

"I didn't want you to come here. I just wanted to be your friend and Edwards tried to use that..."

"Did you not? Well I guess I'll never know that." Sophia says, curtly. "You see, I don't really know if you flirted with me because you actually were interested..."

"I am!" Alex says.

"It doesn't matter." she says, before standing up. "I have so many barriers up around myself, that I don't trust me. If I can't trust me, how am I meant to trust you? I've only just met you and already I don't know what we are but we kissed, twice. But I can't do it...I just can't. Because even if you do care, then what happens? Pain! All happiness is, is pain in the end and you even spell pain with some of the letters."

She wipes away her forming tears. "Goodbye, Alex Newman." She hands him the glasses and leaves.

* * *

When Sophia gets back to Baker Street, Mycroft is waiting for her. "I got fooled." Sophia says to him.

"I know." Mycroft replies. "But you helped us win, and that's a good thing."

"I do not want to do this facility thing anymore."

"Oh no, it's quite alright. It's stopping now anyway. Our threat is gone." Mycroft replies. "Those people from a few days ago, well they were decoys."

"I see." Sophia replies, before sitting down.

"Well I must be off. If you're alright. I'll tell John when he comes back, or if you like we can keep this one between ourselves."

"I think that'll be best." Sophia replies. When he's gone, she makes her way to her room to pick out something to watch, but she's so tired by the time she gets there, that she ends up putting on her pyjamas, and going to sleep.


	31. Chapter 31

There is some nights when Sophia can't get to sleep and it isn't because she is not tired, she is exhausted. She has even cut the caffeine out of her daily drink diet; but that hasn't helped either. What keeps her awake is probably her thought processes that she goes through while she stares at the ceiling. No matter how much effort that Sophia puts in to it; she still can't stop thinking about her mother, her father, Moran and Moriarty. Although Sophia's not quite sure that the latter exists anymore, because _she _is still alive and so is John. Or maybe it's all connected with her father's suicide somehow. She doesn't know. What she does know, is that Sherlock Holmes loved himself so very much and he would never ever kill himself. It would take an incentive more than the newspapers disgracing him or the police being after him for something that he didn't do to make him take his own life. Protecting John is the only incentive that she can think of.

With futile intentions, she still sends text messages to her father's number now and then. She had let him in to her heart when it was still torn in to a million pieces and hurting; and then he made the pain she was feeling worse by jumping. Caring about people just made her unhappy in the end. She realises that now. Why people say that caring isn't an advantage is understandable to her. Yet she still does. She cares about John who is like an uncle to her - an uncle who has taken on the role that a godfather would - and she cares about Mycroft. It's worrying about them the way she does that keeps her awake and the thought of losing the last of her family hurts too.

Then there is the thoughts of her future. What will she be when she leaves school? It's logical she she should go on to further education beyond the level she is at now; but what, and where? She won't go to the same university that Sherlock went to and she is setting that in stone; mainly because she doesn't want to start asking questions like "did my father ever sit in this room?" or "did he ever walk this hallway?" because thinking about him even more will just upset her.

When she goes back to school she still hasn't made a decision and it is her last year and she wants to do more A-levels, despite having her lowest grade as an A, which could probably get her in to university straight away if she started applying, but perhaps school will be good. It could get her away for a while, and give her homework to worry about it.

Mycroft offers everyday to have someone take her to and from school, because she doesn't always get back to Baker Street at a reasonable hour and she is aware of it. Sometimes she just wanders the streets for a while, even in the dark, almost like she doesn't care that she is vulnerable to attack. She doesn't care that it is dangerous and if anything, she wants some danger that could probably lead to pain that's physical because the emotional pain she is in, it's too overwhelming.

It's not long before she starts answering back irritating drunks in the street at night. It only leads to massive fights which lead to her getting her a little hurt herself, but she takes a lot of frustration out on them. It doesn't stop John worrying when she walks into Baker Street covered in bruises. She will shrug it off and go to her room, but it happens repeatedly and when he tries to talk to her, she suddenly has a ton of homework.

It's coming up to Christmas and Sophia stays walking to six o'clock in the morning, after getting in to a fight around two. That's when a car pulls over and she gets ready for someone to step out to probably kill her or speak to her for directions. The door opens and out of the car comes Lestrade. He shakes his head because Sophia isn't wearing a jacket and he can tell she has been out all night. Is she not aware of how cold it is?

And she just stands there like she is awaiting some form of criticism because that's what Sherlock would do. Attention seeking, he would call it. "You know it's really cold for a morning stroll." Lestrade says and Sophia knows that is just an icebreaker because he is avoiding the fact she looks like she was in a major brawl, which she actually was. She just hangs her head and doesn't answer him except for a shrug. "Why don't I drive you home?"

He looks at her and swallows. If that was his daughter he would be worrying about her so much right now. He can tell that John will be worrying, and in some way he himself is actually concerned for her well being, because she is Sherlock's daughter and he still feels ridiculously guilty about the papers and assumptions.

"Thanks, Lestrade." she says quietly.

* * *

"We're you thinking about Christmas, shopping?" he asks her, airily on the drive there.

"Yeah. Christmas shopping." she replies half heartedly, not even trying to lie to him convincingly.

"What happened?" he asks, gesturing towards the bruise forming from her forehead down over her eye and cheek.

"I am clumsy." Sophia replies.

When he pulls over outside Baker Street he gets out and opens her door for her. "I want to talk to John." Lestrade says.

"Alright." Sophia utters, quietly.

She opens the door with her key and finds John sitting on the stairs. "Sophia where have you been?!" he asks perturbed and concerned and with relief as he rushes up to pull her in to a hug. He doesn't fail to notice Lestrade is there but his main concern is her.

"Don't worry me like that again!" he scolds her when he pulls away. He looks at her visible bruises, especially the one that had concerned Lestrade. "Go upstairs and sit down and put a blanket on!"

She slowly walks upstairs and John turns to Lestrade. "I was on my way in to work...and I could not drive by when I saw her."

"She is doing this all the time." John replies. "Everyday she goes downhill. At first she seemed fine and then...suddenly this!"

"Maybe the effects have taken awhile to sink in." Lestrade replies. "I want you both to know that I am here. I know I am not necessarily on the list of..."

"Greg, it isn't you I blame for what happened. You called us before you came to arrest him. Why else would you do that?"

He nods. "Let me know how she is." Lestrade replies before leaving to go to his car.

* * *

She doesn't complain that the disinfectant John is using to clean her wounds is hurting but instead sits motionless. "You need to stop doing this." Joh tells her. He puts a hand on her shoulder. "You're going to get yourself seriously hurt or worse and if I lose you too then..."

She swallows before inhaling deeply and standing up. "Hurting _you _wasn't my intention." she states, as she walks over to the window, and actually slumps to the ground.

"Is hurting yourself it?"

She looks up but doesn't answer.

"I miss him _too_!"

"I know." Sophia replies, with a sad sigh. "But you're strong! You're clever! But me?! Look at me?! I couldn't save any of them! I befriended my mother's killer! I relied on luck to save me when Lucien who was really Sebastian Moran shot me close to my heart and I was doing a stupid exam on the day that my father died! Now all I have left to lose is you and Mycroft and how can I take that pain when I lose the last two people I care about?! What have I got beyond that?! I just lie awake at night and wonder when the next bastard with a weapon to kill is going to come here! It hurts so much that I can actually feel a physical ache in my chest and still for some reason the emotional pain hurts so much more than the physical. I need to be reminded that I can cope with pain, so I get in to fights..."

She can't finish because she just breaks down in to tears and sobs and buries her head into her arms which are leaning on her knees. John walls over and pulls head on to his shoulder when he sits down beside her. He kisses the top of her head and strokes her hair. "It hurts because you care." he says softly. "Life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice-versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant."

Sophia lifts her head up off of John's shoulder. "I know that it hurts. The bad things hurt a lot." John says to her. "But think about all the good things that happen out of caring about people and the bad things don't always spoil it and make the unimportant. I care about you Sophia and write now it hurts to know that you're upset like this _but _that doesn't spoil the fact we have fun together or that you're like my niece. Maybe even like the daughter I don't have! You're not the only one who loves people. People love you and if you continue like this, you're going to upset them."

"I am sorry." Sophia replies.

"It's not just me and Mycroft. It's Lestrade and Molly; and your school teachers. We're not your mum and we are not your dad but we all love you and you are very precious to us. But especially me. Now go to bed and get some sleep."

She goes to speak. "No arguing. Just get some sleep."

She gets up and leaves to go to her room.


	32. Chapter 32

When Sophia leaves her last exam that she'll ever do in high school, months later, she makes her way back to Baker Street and runs up the stairs to the living room with a grin on her face. John is watching the television but he turns it off as soon as he sees that Sophia has something to tell him.

"Alright. I've had an idea!" Sophia says, animatedly. "I make a job for myself!"

John looks at her. "Sit down. I'm listening." he replies.

She sits on the coffee table so she's staring directly at John. "I want to be a consulting agent!" she says with a grin.

"Sweetie, I don't understand you." John replies.

"Of course you don't! I thought of it up at the last minute when I had two minutes left in my exam and I was bored and I wasn't allowed to leave." she says with speed that Concorde airline would envy. John laughs and shakes his head before standing up and making his way to the kitchen. "Is Mary coming up?" Sophia asks.

"She's busy tonight." John replies. "She was up already. Text her for me and let her know how the exam went."

"It went how it always goes. With me correcting the grammar in the paper." Sophia replies before picking out her phone and texting Mary. "And I should go and see uncle Mycroft."

"So what universities did you apply to again?" John asks.

"MIT. Stanford..."

"Wait a minute? You told me you were thinking about some in this country."

"I was until my uncle persuaded me not to. He thinks that my moving to America will do me good. I've never really travelled before and...Well he thinks I need to learn how to cope without him or you there. Which I can do. Though he does have some apprehensions about it."

"Sophia, those universities are a long way away!"

"Only six hours on a plane. Besides if I want over quick, I can get on one of those fighter jets that you need to wear the oxygen masks in. I'll be over for Christmas and stuff."

"Stuff." John utters.

"I might no have passed my exams." Sophia says. "Kidding."

She stands up and makes her way back outside. She's free from school and she doesn't have to go back.

* * *

Two and a half years later

"Working on getting your Master degree?" Mary asks, Sophia when she returns for Christmas. They are sitting in a pub. Sophia is drinking water.

"Do the exam in a few months. They decided to move me up a couple of years when I started lecturing the lecturer."

"Do you enjoy MIT?" John asks. Although Sophia knows he's only asking her to tease her. He asks her it all the time. He knows it is starting to irritate her now.

Sophia nods, and draws him a fake smile, causing John to chuckle.

"Wasn't that the place that...that person went to. The one who you fancied." John inquires.

"Yes. No but I didn't...but yeah. He isn't there. Not anymore. Made sure of it before I went." she says quickly.

"Who?" Mary asks.

"Sophia was so close to having a boyfriend but she ruined it." John replies.

"He wasn't going to be my boyfriend and for the record he lied to me." Sophia replies.

"They don't make men like me anymore. That's the problem." John jokes.

"What's it like in Boston?" Mary asks.

"Cambridge actually but it's not that far off. You could down for the weekend. I'll take photos next time I'm over."

"Did you not go to Moscow, one time?" John asks.

"I can't talk about that!" Sophia replies.

"Oh. Careless talk?" John asks mockingly.

"You know what, Sophia. Don't listen to him! He's just jealous because you've got a hobby." Mary says before poking John in the arm.

"One last drink and we'll go home." John says.

"Alright." Sophia replies as Mary says. "Fine."

* * *

"What Lethal Weapon movies was it that Riggs met Leo?" John asks, Mary.

"The second one." Mary replies.

"I thought it was the third." John says.

"It was the second!" Sophia says, backing up Mary's answer. "The third one is when Riggs meets Lorna."

"Oh so it was!" John replies. "You've got the boxset, right?"

"Why do you assume that I have the boxset to everything?" Sophia asks.

"Do you?" John asks, again.

"I might." Sophia replies.

"You two!" Mary says with a small laugh. "Sophia has been back seventeen hours and already you're both arguing over a dvd boxset."

"It could be worse...it could be who is getting the milk." Sophia replies.

John laughs.

Sophia looks at John and Mary who continue talking and laughing. She's glad he's found Mary. She's so right for him and she understands how much Sherlock meant to John. She believes that Sherlock is who he said he was. It meant a lot to Sophia as well.

As soon as they reach Baker Street's door the mobile in Sophia's pocket rings. "Oh I gotta take this." she informs them.

"Who is it?" Mary asks.

"Unknown number. Probably someone needing my expertise!" she replies, with a smile.

"Oh come on, Sophia. You just got back here." John replies. "Ignore them and let someone else hack the Chinese."

"John! Shut up! I must keep my identity a secret." she replies. "Go inside. I won't be long."

John and Mary make their way into Baker Street and Sophia takes the call.

"Hello. Sophia." greets the man on the other end of the phone call.

The voice she hears on the other makes her back in to the railings and take in a deep breath. She feels angry, and sick. In fact, infuriated would be a better word.

"You have no right phoning me like this!" she says, bitterly. "No right! How did you even get this number? In fact don't even answer that!"

"I understand your anger! Especially after everything that's happened." is the reply.

Sophia feels like murdering someone. "Oh I don't think you really do!" Sophia snaps.

"I do believe it or not. I need to speak to you."

"Give me one good reason why I should?!" Sophia asks.

* * *

As soon as John and Mary reach the living room they realize that someone's there by the shadow moving inside. John gets ready to see Mycroft or Lestrade but when he turns on the light, who he sees is someone he wasn't expecting.

"You bastard!" John exclaims.

"This is Sherlock Holmes." Mary states, looking at the detective who is meant to be dead.

"I..." Sherlock begins but is stopped when John hits him in the stomach and then the face.

"Where is Sophia?" Sherlock asks.

"Outside." John replies, before tacking him to the ground. "You jumped off the roof. I saw you!"

"I had to do it to save your life!" Sherlock replies.

"Why are you back now? Hmm?" John asks.

"Because Moran is back and he knows that I'm alive! I'm here to stop you dying. Again!"

John gets up and opens the curtain to look outside. "Sophia is leaving." John says. "She's getting in to a taxi."

"Where is she going?" Sherlock asks.

"A client probably phoned her!" John replies.

Mary hands, Sherlock tissues to wipe the blood away from his face. "Thank you." Sherlock says. "Why does, Sophia have clients?"

"I'm glad you've established that her name isn't Burden and she is a consulting agent, when she's not being an MIT student."

"MIT student?!" Sherlock asks.

* * *

Sophia makes her way in to the warehouse she's been asked to go to. "I'm here!" she shouts, her voice echoing. "This is what you wanted isn't it?! Now leave John and Mary alone! Just...tell me what you want!"

She sees the laser light making it's way over the floor and walls until she can tell it's on her forehead.

Her phone rings and she answers it. "If you want you and your friends to live then I suggest that you sit the USB that's in your jacket in the safe on your left."

She takes the USB out and holds it in her hand. "What do you want with this?" Sophia asks.

"As soon as you had access to all the technology you have desired you've been gathering information on me and my network...It's on that pen drive. If you want your friends alive then I suggest you do it. Put it in the safe. The code is 221B. A little nice thing for you."

She makes her way over and puts in and locks it. "Now what."

"I suggest you do your best to survive and if you do, tell your father I'm coming."

"My father?" Sophia asks.

Suddenly all she hears is gun fire. She breaks in to a run as bullets come flying through the windows and metal doors.


	33. Chapter 33

Sophia walks in to her room in 221 C and removes a gun from her desk drawer before putting her in to her back pocket. She then picks up a knife and puts it in her boot, before making her way upstairs, with fury that she's never felt before. Slowly she opens the door and steps inside.

"Sophia; you're back." John says, before looking up to her. Her trousers are torn at the knees, and her cuts are visible through them. The same goes for her shirt at her arms. But she doesn't look at John, or Mary. She just looks at Sherlock; not in disbelief but in disgust.

She wants to say something and Sherlock is waiting on her to do so but she's so angry that she can't find words; so she doesn't even speak to him. Instead she just shakes her head before turning around to face John. "Moriarty is dead. Moran wanted a USB stick of mine. It had information that I had been gathering on his network, but most of all, there's information of the security levels in the ministry."

She grinds her teeth. "I'm going to now and clean up the mess that Sherlock Holmes has made." she continues.

"I'm not asking you to do that for me." Sherlock utters.

Sophia turns around. "I'm not doing it for you! I'm doing nothing for you!" Sophia replies, bitterly.

* * *

Sophia makes her way through the halls at the ministry until she gets to the elevator. She takes a deep breath and makes her way inside before clicking on the button for Mycroft's floor. When she gets there she doesn't even knock on the door. He's not surprised. He had been expecting her to make an appearance.

"I am glad you're safe." Mycroft says, quietly. "Do you want some tea?"

"No." Sophia replies. "I think Moran is going to attack you."

Mycroft takes a deep breath.

* * *

Two hours later

"I couldn't really say anything to him. I just…left before I decided to kill him myself." Sophia explains to Mycroft. "I felt so…"

Mycroft lets out a sigh. "Sherlock does have that effect on people, doesn't he?"

"I hate him so very much." Sophia says, her voice losing its strength.

"But you of all people knew he was doing it to protect John. Now you know that it was for Lestrade and Mrs Hudson. You! " Mycroft says.

"But he faked his death. He could have gotten in touch with me! I don't know what to think! I really don't!"

* * *

Sherlock's phone rings, and he is Baker Street alone while John takes Mary home. He's no idea where Mrs Hudson is. She sort of walked out of the room and decided not to talk to him.

He answers it. "Hello, Sebastian Moran."

"I want you at the ministry offices."

"When?" Sherlock asks.

"You'll know when."

* * *

"One question." Sophia hears, Mycroft say as she goes to make her way out of the tech room. "How far you willing to go to protect him?"

"Does it need saying?" Sophia replies, turning around to face him. Her expression is enough to answer his question and she leaves the office and makes her way downstairs until she reaches the tech room. When inside the triggers the fire alarms to get all the workers out.

"Aren't you coming, Miss Adler?" a technician asks.

She just smiles, sadly and he leaves. "You're going down Moran if it's the last thing that I do."

* * *

In the morning, John still hasn't returned to Baker Street and Sherlock is still sitting, and waiting on his friend to make a return, or his daughter. The phone in his pocket buzzes to indicate a text message. He removes it to read it.

Turn on the television.

* * *

As soon as Moran's men break through security procedures in the building, Mycroft stands up and makes his way down to Sophia who is still in the tech room. "Are all the workers replaced with soldiers?"

"Yes." Mycroft replies.

Sophia takes a deep breath as she hears the bullets firing from above her. "Did you get access?" Mycroft asks.

"Of course I did." she replies, before turning on the security cameras. Her eyes widen as she sees Sherlock making his way through the corridors. "What's he doing here?"

Mycroft sighs.

Her phone alert goes off and she picks it up to read her text message. "It's Moran." Sophia replies.

"Moran?" Mycroft asks.

Sophia makes her way to the door and types in a code that will lock off the whole room. "Thanks for everything, Uncle Mycroft."

"You're going to find him, aren't you?" Mycroft asks.

"Does it need saying?" Sophia replies. "I've set the doors to go in to lockdown. No one can get in here, no matter what bullets or bombs they have. Unless they have diamond bullets but I doubt it. But the reason Moran is attacking this place is to hurt him and you'll be on the list."

"What about you?" Mycroft asks.

Sophia closes the door over and removes her gun from her pocket as she makes her way to the emergency stair case. She begins to run up to the roof. She's going as fast as she can possibly go but she can't be going any slower.

As soon as she reaches the roof door she kicks it open to find Sebastian Moran standing there, someone she had known as Lucien, someone she used to trust. "It's been a while, Sophia." he says.

"Not long enough." Sophia says, with anger in her voice.

"I'm surprised at you of all people putting security information on a USB stick like that. But letting therumours about it persist and not try and shut them up."

Sophia folds her arms. "Why are you here?"

"I'm luring your father here to kill him."

He points to a window on the building across. Sherlock is standing in the office over there. "What makes you think that I'm going to let you do that? I could kill you just now."

She holds the gun up at him.

"What good will killing me do other than getting revenge? My network is still out there to kill him."

"That might be so. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Now it's not. As of now all the information from your own servers are now downloading to the ministry computers and there's nothing you can do to stop them. They're going straight to every agent that America and Britain have access to.Even Mossad are keen. Your network has fallen in to a great big pile of nothing!"

"What?!" Moran exclaims. "Don't be stupid…"

"You spent quite a bit of time as my bodyguard. Surely you'd have realised that I'm not the type of person who would put that kind of information on a USB stick without protection. There's a hidden programme. As soon as you connected that to your computer that wasn't registered as a safe machine, it alerted me. As an emergency it makes a back up of all the information on the USB, and of all the contents of the computer it is on, straight to the computers downstairs. That's not all, I was then able to use the signal and hack the rest of your servers."

Moran goes to draw his weapon but she kicks it out of his hand. As they struggle, her gun falls to the ground from the roof.

He stands up and then kicks her so she rolls over the edge. She grabs on the ledge and ends up hanging. "I'll leave you there, now. If you're still there by the time I get to daddy, dear then it'll be a little comical."

* * *

Sherlock waits patiently on Moran to come down.Eventually he does. "You are attacking my brother now. Are you doing me favours?" Sherlock asks, Moran.

"While we're making jokes. Look out the window." Moran says. Before Sherlock can, there's a crash and broken glass flies every. Sherlock looks on the ground to see Sophia who is getting up and standing in front of Sherlock.

"You're going to get through me if you want to kill him! Or anyone else that I care about for that matter!"

"Oh you still care about me?" Sherlock asks.

She turns around shakes her head. "Of course I do!Idiot!" she replies.

Moran grabs her and puts a gun to her head. "Do we have to do this all the damn time? You know, Sophia killing my network was a little futile…"

"How's that?" Sophia replies.

"My mercenaries are still there."

"Who need paid. I also hacked your bank accounts and sent all the money to charity. They are kind of aware of that now. You're on your own."

Sherlock smiles.

"Then I'll need you for my get out of here, free card."Moran says. He brings the gun up to Sherlock. "Don't need you though!"

Sophia looks at Sherlock and smiles before grabbingthe gun and bringing it to her lower right abdomen and firing.


	34. Chapter 34

What went through her mind when she pulls the trigger of Moran's gun is the question that Mycroft had asked her. She answered him "Does it need saying?" Does it need saying, that she would die to protect her father? If it was her mother she'd do the same.

As the bullet ploughs through her abdomen she thinks back to the times with her mother. It really brings a whole new saying to one's life flashing before there eyes.

_She's five old and she's waiting on her mother to come home. When the door opens she runs straight over to hug her. "I love you mummy!" she says, with a smile. _

_"I love you too!" _

_Irene picks Sophia up and takes her in to the living room. "Were you a good girl while I was out?" _

_She nods. _

_"Where is Alice?" _

_"She's sleeping." _

_"Is she?!" Irene asks, animatedly. "Were you looking after her?' _

_Sophia nods. "Mummy is so very proud of you." Irene says, brushing hair from her daughter's eyes behind her ear. "Shall I take you upstairs and tuck you in. I'll even tell you a story." _

A tear runs down her cheek before she fall to the ground and hits the glass on the floor, cutting herself even more. She look over to Sherlock who is standing in shock at first. He falls on his knees to pick her up in to his arms. "No. What were you thinking? Sophia!"

"I hate you so much." she says to him before kissing his cheek. "I don't want you to die. Not again!"

Tears run down her cheek. "It's so much easier to list the things that I wouldn't do for you than to list the things that I would."

"Don't talk nonsense. Please don't talk nonsense!" he pleads.

"I'm angry at you, right now! You had a million ways to get in contact with _me. _But you didn't...Was I really that much of a burden?"

"Of course you were!"

Sophia takes a deep breath. "I wouldn't have had it any other way." he adds, sincerely.

"I am sorry. I'm so, so sorry." she says before her eyes close over.

* * *

Sebastian Moran's file is taken to archives, now with a bold stamp of the word **DECEASED **written on the cover. He died before he reached the hospital. He bled out. The man who killed Sophia's mother died, because she made it happen. She had always tried to move on with everything, after the day she broke down in front of John but it still lingered there what Moran had done. There was always the feeling that she won't be able to trust anyone after she trusted 'Lucien'. She had in a way befriended him and then he tried to kill her. It made her sick when she thought about all of that at night. How could she have walked around London with the man who killed her mother for months and not know? But before she passed out in Sherlock's arms, she had the satisfaction to know she took, Moran down and that he wasn't going to be hurting anyone else that she cared about.

* * *

Mycroft sits in his office in silence. It's been a long day and all the regular workers are back in the building. Anthea is constantly bringing him tea. Moran is gone; and so is the remains of Moriarty's network. But he can't let Sophia getting shot in the process effect his capability to deal with other issues. There's no doubt that he cares about his niece. He respects that she locked him up in the tech room to protect him. But it's Sherlock's turn to do something. John and Mycroft had been doing it for years, even when Sherlock hadn't been faking his death.

He picks up the phone and calls Anthea's desk. "Anthea. Get me MIT on the phone. Digital Forensics. Please."

He has to phone her university.

* * *

John sits on the sofa in Mary's flat as she rubs his shoulder. "I can't believe this happens in the forty eight hours that Sherlock just returns out of the blue!" John says in anger.

"He jumped to save you though. He cares about you."

"I know! It doesn't make it better!" John replies. "He does nice things and has a brief shining moment before he opens his big mouth!"

"John you need to calm down!" Mary tries to sooth him, but with a sort firm manner.

"But...Mary...Sophia...Sophia..."

"I know." Mary replies, before putting her arms around. "I know. It's making you upset and it's making you angry but there's nothing more that you can do and getting angry at Sherlock is not going to help. He's already feeling bad."

John nods.

* * *

Sophia had shot herself in the abdomen so that the bullet would go through and hit Moran. Sherlock sits in his Baker Street and can't stop thinking about this. She shot herself! To protect him! He also can't stop thinking about everything John said to him, the moment that Sophia got to hospital.

_"She shot herself! For you!" John says to Sherlock, angrily. "Does that mean anything to you, at all? Don't you feel just a tiny bit guilty about that? Maybe even the fact that she's only just gotten a little bit happier? She spent months after your tragic fall, in emotional pain! She..." _

_"Probably went out attention seeking." _

_John hits him again. "Don't you dare say that! You don't know what she's been through! You've hurt that girl more than Moran or Moriarty could and yet she still shoots herself to save you! And you stand there, like you don't even care?!"_

Sherlock stands up from his chair and makes his way to the window, while a single tear runs from his eye down his cheek. 

_"I know you jumped to save us. Thanks but...You are a bit of an idiot and an arse!" John says to Sherlock. _

_"I do care about her." Sherlock replies. _

_"Then maybe you should tell her once in a while." _

_"That's if she survives." Sherlock replies. _

_"Don't give up on her! She wouldn't give up on you!" John replies. _

"I'm so sorry, Sophia." Sherlock says aloud. "I'm so so sorry."


	35. Chapter 35

New York City is the city that never sleeps. That much is true; especially in the eyes of special agent Belikov.

"I hate raids after midnight." he says to his partner despondently. His partner turns and looks at him with a quirky smile.

"I am sorry; I had no idea you were afraid of the dark."

Belikov gives his partner a derisive glance. "You've not right to make judgements like that. You were away in LA for a fortnight."

"On an assignment. What do I do in the late hours when my partner calls me to say he's got no one else? I give up my unpacking and tidying up to come and help you without even asking questions."

There's silence for a minute as Belikov puts a finger to his lips and gestures towards the door to a warehouse building. "Do you hear that?" he asks.

"I don't know!" they hear someone scream.

"That's our invitation without a warrant." Belikov's partner says.

* * *

"So how did you find the warehouse?" The FBI director asks Belikov.

"I sought help from someone who knew what they were doing." Belikov replies. "Alex here wasn't on hand."

"Newman. Belikov. No more going on hunches like this without informing someone."

"Yes, sir." says Belikov.

"I'm not making a promise that I can't keep. Especially when Belikov here makes it his soul intention to take away my sleep."

"Go!" the director says.

Alex and Belikov leave the room and go to the staircase. "So did you get another agent in?" Alex asks.

"Something like that." Belikov replies.

Alex looks down at the crowd around Belikov's desk. "Emm...are they here to welcome me back or..."

"Oh no. Our helper. Everyone likes her and we're trying to get her to stay. She's needing field experience and she needs out of the UK for a while for family troubles and we want her to stay. Seventeen cold cases we solved in the last two weeks! Thirty turn downs for coffee, for me personally."

"Seventeen?" Alex asks. "Wait a minute...she turned you down thirty times? You still don't get the message?"

"You're not any better with women, either. How many girlfriends have you had since you came here?"

"Four. That's Eight more than you."

"Sorry? That's not possible!" Belikov says.

"You're an impossible person. You went in to negatives. So this new person quite clever then? Clever enough to not waste her time with you or anyone else in this place?"

"Yeah. She's a right Nancy Drew." He raises his voice suddenly when he gets to the crowd. "Alright everyone! Clear off!" He turns to Alex who is looking over to his desk, sure that someone's been trying to get in to his private desk drawer. Belikov hits him in the arm. "Alex meet, Sophia Adler."

Alex turns around straight away at the name.

* * *

She's the subject of everyone's attention. People keep bringing her coffee; it's unbelievable. The people in the FBI were sure hospitable. Family problems she had told them, when she asked to help out for field experience. It was not a total lie. She was having difficulty and she needed a break.

It's been five months since Sherlock's return. When she came back from the hospital they were not getting along; and they couldn't see eye to eye. So she ended up leaving.

"So, Sophia. Rumor has it you're being offered a job here!" one of the clerks say to her. "Is that true? Because that would be great if you could. You just lighten up this place with your smile!"

People suddenly all start talking at once and it's not what she's used to. "Well...I don't know. As of now, no job offer!"

This is all crazy to her. Americans. Must be the same. She scolds herself for being prejudiced. She's not that kind of a person, really.

"Alright everyone! Clear off!" she hears Belikov utter. He reminds her of an American Lestrade, only much more up himself.

Her text alert goes off as they all begin to clear off away from her. She removes her phone from her pocket.

**Are you alright? He's worrying. You should call him or something. JW**

She doesn't reply.

"Alex, meet Sophia Adler." she hears Belikov say. Great; he's introducing her to people. She looks up and locks eyes with who she's being introduced to. Of course; out of all the people in America named Alex; it had to be Alex Newman. He looks even more mature than the last time she saw him; looks even hotter; and she swallows for a moment. That road should not be driven down; ever.

"I might have known you'd be at the heart of all things brilliant when I'm not there." Alex comments.

"I'm brilliant when you're there, but you like to be the centre of attention and I end up pitying your need to be number one." she finds herself replying.

Belikov looks from Sophia to Alex. "You know each other?" he asks.

"Kind of." Alex says, not taking his eyes from Sophia.

"Depends on the definition." Sophia states. She stands up and shakes his hand. "It's only reasonable I shake your hand. After all I did take less years than you did to get my Masters degree in computer forensics."

"Oh you copied me? Was I inspiring?" Alex asks.

"More like I was bored and I needed to show off. I'm a consulting agent now."

"But you could possibly be, a liaison officer with the bureau and the British Government right?" Belikov asks.

"I can't. I want to go on and do my doctorate." Sophia replies.

"You're at MIT, aren't you?" Alex asks.

"I might have ventured over to Cambridge, Massachusetts." Sophia replies.

"It's nice there, isn't it?" Alex asks.

"Spectacular." Sophia replies. "Very cool."

"Thanks for that satellite footage you got me access to." Belikov says, interrupting or at least trying to. The staring match that Alex and Sophia are in is freaking him out. There's even more silence as the two of them stare at each other and he decides to break it again. "Our time together until September is going to be so brilliant. We're going to solve a lot of cases. Maybe we can get coffee?"

"Are you under the major delusion that the word no could somehow transform in to the word yes. Or the words "I would have to decline" could morph in to "I accept" because you ask me that all the time and I think you must have a very bad memory or some mental health problem that makes you hopeful because the answer is no."

"It's called optimism." Alex replies, patting Belikov on the shoulder. "It only seems a mental illness to pessimists."

"I'm not a pessimist. I'm a realist." Sophia defends herself.

"Oh really then why did you feel I was accusing you there. I never directly said that you were one."

"But you were thinking it."

"Can I blame you? You think the worst all the time."

Sophia looks away and sighs before turning around and beginning to walk away. "You scared her off."

"She does that anyway." Alex utters. "She does that anyway."

* * *

Sophia drops her phone on the ground on the way to get a taxi. She gets ready to pick it up but someone beats her to her. "Here you go." Alex says.

"Deja Vu." she utters.

"Oh yeah. The first time I spoke to you."

She sighs. "I didn't know you lived in New York now." Sophia says.

"Yeah. It's a nice place."

"Lots of crime."

"Absolutely."

"Belikov says you're here on family troubles. Not like you to be open about something like that."

"What makes you think about that? You don't really know me. We knew each other like a week...Sorry that was harsh but you're right it's not me to tell people that."

"So there's another, more deeper reason."

"I do have family trouble." Sophia admits. "My dad..."

"Why dont' you sit down?" Alex asks, gesturing towards a bench.

"Alright." Sophia replies. "This is going to be a long story."

"I've got all the time in the world until I get called in. So unless I get called in I'm listening."

"He's not dead. He faked his death to protect us and then he came back and so did Sebastian Moran, an assistant to Jim Moriarty. He's the man who killed my mother."

"I'm sorry."

"He was also my bodyguard for a while. I trusted him. Befriended him. Then he shot me. But I got him back. I shot myself, bullet went through and killed him. It also helped I didn't have an appendix."

"Lucky." Alex says, with a smile.

"I was. I almost died, again. You would think I had though. When I woke up, the way everyone was acting. Then after that I was studying my work from home. They said it didn't matter where I done my work I was going to be annoying about it anyway."

Alex laughs.

"I wanted to be able to get along with my father. I thought things would be okay - by our standards of course...but we constantly shouted at each other and I left. He's not angry. He's sad and it's because of me."

"Why would anyone be sad because of you?" Alex asks.

"Maybe the fact the people I started off at MIT with are still aiming for a Bachelor's degree."

"Do you need a doctorate degree? You could stay here and help. I know that you're great. I've seen you work a computer. If you're anything like your father then you're observant. You'd be a great consultant."

"I want to aim higher." Sophia replies. "I'm going back to Cambridge, after I do my field experience here, in my time off."

"All because you don't want to go back to London, and face the battle there?"

"Exactly. The reason that I think the worst all the time, Alex is because that's all that ever happens. Just when things starting going well; bad things happen."

She laughs suddenly. "It's funny; I'm talking to you like we never lost touch or something and we've been best friends. Do suspects just confess because you sit them on a bench?"

"To tell you a secret. I'm not that nice to suspects. They get a wooden or plastic chair and a small table."

"At least they get a table."

"Why would you want a table?" Alex asks.

"I don't." she replies. "I was trying to make a joke. But I'm not that good at them."

"I was being facetious; I know."

Sophia smiles. "Can I be an optimist and ask if you want coffee? I want to hear how your father managed to jump off a building and survive."

"Alright then." Sophia replies. "At least I know you're not...annoying."

"Thanks that means a lot. Not annoying."

"Don't gloat." Sophia replies.

He nods and stands up before taking her hand and helping her up. "May I escort you to Starbucks, Miss Adler?"

"Yes; you may." Sophia replies.


	36. Chapter 36

Sophia stares at her empty cup of coffee, before throwing it in a public trash can close by to her apartment. She's in a moment now where she's judging her choices. She set out to avoid Alex for the whole day and was aspiring to continue that plan for her time at the FBI. But she just began talking to him; as if they were close; almost as as if they were close friends who'd known each other a long while. It was the same when they had been working together at the ministry facility. Something about him made it subconsciously appealing to just talk. What's worse is that the word "no' doesn't exist anymore. That's what happened when he asked her to get coffee and despite Alex's idea of coffee being just coffee, it had frightened her more than Belikov's proposal of it and she knows that Alex was just being polite. It's obvious that it's his nature. It's rare for her to be around people like that; people like Alex.

Perhaps she would not be afraid if they hadn't had the issues that coincided and revolved around Alicia Winterdale. It wouldn't be long before she had to stop ignoring the fact, that was tucked away to the very back of her mind; he appealed to her back then; but if she shuts him out then perhaps he won't appeal to her again.

Maybe she's daunted by the knowledge of how her parents' relationship went and that's somehow niggling away in her subconscious.

She might be afraid of her letting her guard down; and it's probably a fear that her mind might be becoming too singular - out of all the men in the world he's the one she could say was attractive in looks.

It's fairly certain that she's not picked up her father's exact lack of social skills but she was and still is distant with a lot of people. She's always been a very reserved person. She kept to herself and did most things alone or with her mother; and after that when she met her father she extended those people to him, to John, then Mary. It's not because she was incapable - she just liked being alone. She could be herself. It's always been her way.

A sigh is let out as she makes her way quietly in to her apartment, to step on to the balcony which allows the viewing of a very beautiful skyline of New York City. In February she got her inheritance, and the deeds to her mother's house in London. Mycroft had made sure it would be there. But she put the key and deeds in an envelope and put in her safe in her apartment. She knows a use for it. It's just not time. But if John decides to marry Mary, then she will give it to them as a wedding gift.

She let's out a sigh once again, before removing her phone from her pocket, to text John back a reply.

**Tell Sherlock that I think he's an arse! How are you? SA **

She steps inside the apartment and throws her mobile on the sofa before stepping into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face.

How could someone she was willing to die protecting, be so horribly irritating, juvenile and pompous? She left to New York when she realized she was both mother, sister and daughter to Sherlock Holmes. She leaves the bathroom and turns the light off so that she can go to the living area and watch the TV.

* * *

In the morning she blindly grabs on to the first clothes hanger and pulls out a blue dress. It's a recently developed thing of hers. The idea that she wastes time every morning trying to think of something to wear, is only wasting time and her brain cells which can be used for something else.

She gets ready and puts on her mother's gold locket, before staring at herself in the mirror. She realizes that she looks drained of all energy. "Coffee time." she utters aloud.

* * *

"Hello, Miss Adler." the FBI director says, when he finds Sophia at her desk in the morning.

"Director. How may I be of service or help or same thing?'

He blinks and then smiles. "I understand that you're here because you want field experience and because you feel it will help you get a taste of life as an agent of some sort. You're a smart kid. Why do you want to go to MIT? You have your Masters. Why do you need to be called, doctor?"

"I just want to be great I guess. Doctor isn't all medicine or PhD. To be called Dr Adler, would be cool. I once had a doctor called Dr Adler, when I went in to hospital. When I was six. I split my head open."

"So you are injury prone?"

"No. I couldn't tie my laces then but I can now. I assure you that my injuries are deliberately self inflicted by me or others...I guess I just want my mum to be proud. If she were around today...I wouldn't want her saying that her daughter has got a masters. My daughter has a PhD in Computer Forensics."

"If your mother was around today, you'd not be here. You'd be doing something people your age do. She would tell you how proud she is of you."

"Director...what do people my age do?"

"I wouldn't know. I'm not that young. Think about staying. You're too good to be wasted in a school."

He sees Alex walking by. "Would you agree, Newman?"

Alex looks over to Sophia. "Agree on what, sir?"

"Miss Adler, here. Wasted in a school?" he asks.

"I don't think Miss Adler realizes that no matter what level of degree she gets it's still not enough to compare to her actual level in capability."

"Sir, with your permission I would like to assist, Special Agent Clarke downstairs. I believe he's got reports on a case involving NASA?"

"Yes." the director replies.

Sophia smiles. She can stay out of Alex's way for the rest of the day if she's lucky. "You know what Newman you go with her. With the two of you braniacs you should both be a great help. Get you back from your time in LA. Back to the real world."

Sophia just turns around picks up her phone. Damning, the director for his suggestion. "Sophia." Alex says, putting a hand on her shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"Sorry?" she asks, not looking at him as they make their way to the elevator, after she brushes Alex's hand off of her shoulder.

"You weren't feeling well."

She remembers that she told him she wasn't feeling well when they were getting coffee, so she could end her discussion with him, when the realization of being in his company kicked in.

"Much better. I only look terrible because I couldn't be bothered waiting in the line at Starbucks."

"You don't look terrible." he repiles, simply. "To Special Agent Clarke, then?"

She just nods simply.


	37. Chapter 37

"Special Agent Clarke, seems to have taken an interest to you." Alex says to Sophia when he finds her filling a cup of coffee at the coffee machine. It's almost five minutes past one; and they're having a break. She pauses and contemplates whether or not to answer. He can see her hesitating as he looks at him. Almost as if she doesn't want to talk to him. Alex Newman is clever, and no one will say otherwise. Therefore he's no idiot and he can tell Sophia is avoiding him as much as she can. He is interested in why; or maybe just changing that. She's so beautiful it's unbelievable. Not just in looks but in the way she behaves; in the way that she is so unbelievably clever and so eager to be normal and different the same time. She's a paradox; one he's never forgotten.

Bitterly Sophia says to him "Since I came to America people have been interested."

Alex looks at her and smiles. "Well you do wear a dress that so handsomely becomes you and brings out your eyes." he says jokingly, even though he means what he says.

"Don't start."

"So why did you wear that dress? Taken an interest in Belikov after all?"

"It's a thing...In the morning I dress blindly. Why am I even explaining myself to you?"

She walks away to one of the tables and she sits down. There's silence and she hopes he'll take it as a queue that she doesn't want to speak. "There's no need to be depressed. Sure the NASA case was boring and we solved it but you know what...it doesn't matter. Someone's bound to murder one of us."

She just looks at him and then gets up to leave. "You're not speaking. Any particular reason?"

"Maybe I have nothing to say." she remarks.

"That's new." he states, before putting his hands in his pockets and turning around to her. She scoffs as they look each other directly in the eye. "You usually always have something to say about something."

"Usually? There you are again talking as if you know me! You don't, Alex Newman. I think seven days of our whole lives, in total."

"It doesn't take two days to realize that you love giving your opinion on everything." Alex replies. "Doesn't take a genius."

"I'm entitled to an opinion!" she protests.

"Well I never said you weren't."

She opens her mouth to speak but can't. "Lunchtime coffee has been great. Hope you enjoy the rest of the day."

He leaves the break room and Sophia walks over to a vending machine and sighs. What's even going on? Why are things so awkward? Does it matter they knew each other a few years ago? Can't they just talk normally? No - because Sophia knows she's being an absolute idiot.

"I'm such a prat." she says to herself before putting a coin in to the machine and getting a chocolate bar out of it.

* * *

She sits the rest of the day in silence as she fills out paperwork. A few people have offered to do the work for her but she says "no". She's not using her newly found good looks that she has never known she's had to get anywhere in life. She uses her abilities to persuade others and she makes her own way in the world. No one will impress her by trying to change that.

She looks over to Alex who is across the room and talking to Belikov. They seem to be arguing and she leans back in her chair as she watches Alex storm away from Belikov, who then turns around to stare at Sophia. He breaks in to a smile suddenly and makes his way over. "Did you see that?" he asks. "Alex is in a grumpy mood, today. You won't believe what it was about..."

"It's none of my business." Sophia replies. "Is Alex your friend?"

"Well yeah." Belikov replies.

"Then don't come over here and talk about him behind his back." she replies, bitterly. She doesn't even realize she just shot out the way she did at him.

"I'm sorry." Belikov says.

"I don't think it's me you should be apologizing to."

She grabs her stuff and storms out.

"Nobody likes me in this place." Belikov mutters to himself.

Sophia is so angry at herself for being so forward that she isn't watching where she is going and she ends up walking out in front of a car on the road. "Hey." someone says as they pull her back on to the sidewalk. She feels someone's hand on her cheek. "Are you alright?" She looks to see Alex.

"Yeah. I'm fine." she says quickly.

"You do know that's known as jaywalking." Alex says.

"I didn't see the car coming." she replies.

"Clearly not." he replies. "I saw you storm out the building. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

She nods. "Well thanks. Although if you didn't I could add to my injury list." she replies, jokingly. "Never been hit by a car before."

"Well don't." he replies. "I'm sorry about in the break room. I was pretty obnoxious."

"Do not flatter yourself I was...well...I was something and that was worse than yours. OK, now I have to go."

"See you tomorrow." Alex says.

She doesn't reply and she continues walking.

* * *

It's some time in September and work in the field for everyone at the FBI has slowed down dramatically to the point they have enough time to just sit and do their mountains of paper work.

"You wanted to see me about something?" Alex asks, Sophia as he half sits/half leans against her desk. He can't believe she's leaving in the morning.

She notices he is wearing a small pin on his tie that he's gotten at a magic show. "Don't tell me you like magic tricks? Everyone always works out how it's done. Well at least I do."

"The trick is making sure that no one knows how you done it, and then it seems like magic. Magic is a phenomena that we use to describe things that don't make sense, that seem so impossible." he replies. "Like you. I think you're impossible. You don't make sense. So therefore you're magic."

She laughs. "Well. I'm not impossible, just a bit unlikely. What do you know about magic trick anyway? It's not computery enough."

"Let me see your necklace.'" Alex speaks, holding his hand out. "I'll make it disappear and then I'll bring it back."

She takes it off. "It was my mother's locket. Bring it back to me." she says, sincerely.

"Don't fear." he replies. He puts it in his hand and when he moves his other hand over it, it's gone.

"It's in your sleeve." Sophia says.

"It's not." he replies, showing her evidence. He brushes his hand over his other hand again and it's back. She smiles.

"I'll put it back on for you." he says. She pulls her hair out the way so that he can get the chain around. That's when she feels like her and Alex have gotten too comfortable with one another, again. She's always doing that. Saying she'll not let her guard down to him; and she always does; but yet she can't help it. If there was any doubt before when she came to the bureau and found Alex again, that she was interested in him then it's all gone now.

When he pulls away from her she look at him and smiles. "The...umm...the case file...on umm..." she begins to say, flustered. She hands him the file. "Well it's all there."

"You're going away tomorrow. Let me take you out to dinner to say goodbye."

She leans back and feels herself looking for a reason not to. All she says is "I can't." She stands up and grabs her coat. "I'm going for coffee now. Would you like some?"

"No." Alex replies. "I've had enough."

Despondently he walks to his desk. He knew from the beginning that she would be going. So why did he let himself feel this way?


	38. Chapter 38

Sophia doesn't get to leave the building that night without being informed that she is not too late to change her mind and that she'll be sadly missed. Quietly she begins to make her way out when Alex pulls her in to the break room to talk to her.

"I don't want you to go." he says, honestly. It's his last chance.

She bows her head and she lets out a large and heavy sigh. "I kind of figured." Sophia replies, looking to the ground. "But I'm still going."

He tilts her head up and makes her look at him, eye to eye. "I love you." Alex says, simply but honestly.

"Quite right too." Sophia replies. She swallows, sighs and sits down, shedding a tear. There's silence. Then she speaks again. "I'm still going. I suppose if it's my last chance to say it...Alex Newman...I..."

Her phone suddenly rings. She winces. "I've got to take this." she tells him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She walks out and takes the call, leaving Alex inhaling oxygen. When she steps back inside she stands at the door. "I need to go. Goodbye, Alex."

"What were you going to say?" he asks, sharply.

"I don't think it needs saying, do you?!" Sophia asks him.

"Say it for me anyway?"

She shakes her head and leaves.

* * *

In her apartment she sits on the floor; the only thing she's not packed in to a box and she begins to charge her phone. She stands up and throws a pillow and a blanket on the floor. In the morning she's going to Massachusetts. To Cambridge. Alex is in her mind though. Why did he have to say what he did? Things had and always will be complicated with the two of them. Her plan to not get attached to him, which she had feared would happen, obviously did not work out. He has a brilliant way of controlling situations, working with people, and technology. He's clever but not nasty about it. He can talk any language. Not just world languages but people language, business language, and leadership language. He can work people and it's something she finds fascinating. There's also his suits, well tailored and smart looking.

As all of those things go through her head she realizes she notices too much about him. She doesn't normally focus too much on people and their personality; just what she needs to know. Alex she wants to know everything.

She knew he hadn't lied to her all those months upon months ago and it was something out of his control but she used it as an excuse so she could leave, while things began. She was afraid. She is, now. She's lost enough people to fully be brave enough. It's strange, she's done so much that's dangerous and yet the prospect of actually being attached to someone in a non-platonic way is terrifying.

She lies down and rests her head on the pillow, and stares at the ceiling. New York City will be missed; there's no mistake there. It's the most beautiful city she's ever been too. One of them anyway, she loves London too much as well.

While she lays awake she begins to contemplate on what would happened if she decided she wanted to accept her feelings for Alex. Should she go and tell him? What about MIT? Everything else begins to whizz around her head, like an electron spinning outside its atom's nucleus.

She can't take another sleepless night. She has too many of them, where she just tosses and turns. Coffee is what she's living on, now and she can't take more of that. It leaves her feeling worse in the end when the effects wear off. Most students are like that because of having to stay awake studying. Sophia shakes her head at that thought. She knows computers more than people at MIT. Computers were what kept her mind busy when it wasn't chemistry or homework or reading. It was like trying to control another brain; only one smarter. Possibly smarter than her own.

She puts her hands in a prayer shape much like her father's normal habit for thinking, and sits up. She rolls her neck before standing up and heading to the balcony. The view is wonderful. Very beautiful.

It doesn't take long before she begins to get cold and she goes in to the apartment again, locking the balcony door, before wandering around the apartment as she thinks. "I'm going to miss this place so much." she says aloud, and she means it.

It took a whole two weeks before she settled on renting the apartment. She wanted it just right. This one was, right. The view, the spacious living room, the tiles and the massive bedroom. It's distance from the FBI was just right. Not too far and not too close. It had access to a number of shops around the place and there was even a park near by to go for a walk.

It also had a safe, and she needed a decent one because she has a lot of precious items and a gun. It wouldn't do well if people could just walk in to her apartment and find a weapon that they could use to kill people.

With a sigh she makes her way back to the blanket and pillow to lie awake and think.

* * *

The next day (four o'clock)

On the news is a woman standing outside JFK airport.

_It is presumed that they were 200 people on that plane this morning when it blew up in the air on its way to Cambridge aiport in Massachusetts. It's believed that it could be due to a fault in the plane that wasn't discovered, due to reports but it's not certain that we can rule out terrorists just yet. _

Alex stands and watches the report, feeling sick. He takes a few deep breaths and grinds his teeth. A cup of coffee is in his hands and he ends up putting it down on the table on his sofa, before sitting down and closing his eyes.


	39. Chapter 39

On the news is a woman standing outside JFK airport.

_It is presumed that they were 200 people on that plane this morning when it blew up in the air on its way to Cambridge airport in Massachusetts. It's believed that it could be due to a fault in the plane that wasn't discovered, due to reports but it's not certain that we can rule out terrorists just yet._

Alex stands and watches the report, feeling sick. He takes a few deep breaths and grinds his teeth. A cup of coffee is in his hands and he ends up putting it down on the table at his sofa, before sitting down and closing his eyes.

Just after midnight the previous night

Alex looks at the clock on the wall in his apartment. It is a few minutes past midnight and he knows if he goes to bed to try and sleep he won't be able to sleep for thinking about Sophia. How could she walk away, the way she did? Thoughts of how she could have finished her uncompleted sentence flooded his mind and made him restless. Is there a chance she feels the same way? He understands that she finds emotions of the heart complicated because of everything that has happened to her. But is she now having a mental battle about her feelings; is what he is wondering.

There is a knock on the door at twenty minutes past, breaking him from his thoughts. He looks around to try and find his shirt but ends up disregarding the thought anyway. The only person who normally knocks on his door at this time is Belikov. He opens it and finds Sophia, instead.

"Sophia..." he begins. "What are you doing here?" His tone when he asks the question is sharp in a way. Not sharp enough to tell her he doesn't want her there (because he does so much) but enough to demand an answer.

"I couldn't sleep." she says, suddenly and quickly. "That's why I'm here tonight and not tomorrow morning."

"Why would you be here tomorrow morning?" Alex asks.

She takes a deep breath and then exhales, heavily. "Because...I don't want to go to Cambridge. I mean...I love it an all but umm...I would rather stay here in New York."

Alex looks at her, and his heart begins to lift. He hopes it means what he thinks it does. "So New York managed to change your mind. What's so special about this place? It's a nice city but it's just a city."

"Because New York is where you are." she replies, simply. And I...love you too."

He pulls her inside and crashes his lips against her's, the door closing in the middle of that. When they break away she puts her hands on his chest, to balance herself and realizes he's not wearing shirt.

"Where's your shirt?" she asks.

"I'm too warm so I decided not to wear a top tonight." he tells her. He puts two hands on her cheeks. "I know you're scared. The risk of letting your heart get broken again makes you want to run away. But please take that risk for me."

"I'm here now aren't I?" she asks, quietly.

"Then nothing else matters." he replies.

He goes to kiss her agin and then hesitates for a moment to look in to her eyes before letting his lips touch hers.

* * *

He's closed his eyes to shut out every thought in his head that it could have been her on that plane. He suddenly feels the couch dip with the weight of someone else sitting down. "It really was a simple accident." she explains to him. "That's new."

He opens his eyes and looks at her.

"My uncle explained to me." Sophia replies. "I had to phone them, after I text them all to say I wasn't on the plane, to explain why I wasn't on the plane."

He smiles. "Did you..." He begins to play with her hair. "Tell them all the reasons you didn't go on the plane?"

"Just that I wanted to stay behind for the FBI. The city. I'm still consulting out but...I'm doing it from here. I don't need a PhD in Computer Forensics. It still won't be enough to describe my talents. I'm better doing something than...getting a certificate."

"I will make you one if you want?" he asks her, causing her to snicker.

"I need to go." she says suddenly. "I've got some things to sort out."

"Like what?" Alex asks.

"My apartment. I need to go and unbox things."

"Right now?" he asks.

"Yes." she replies.

"Why don't you stay here?"

"Because all my clothes are in my apartment." she replies, before kissing his cheek. "I'll come back to you."

* * *

Two Weeks Later 

"Have you told him, yet?" Alex asks, Sophia who is typing away in to the computer at her desk.

"I told the director last week I would be staying on full time." she replies.

"You know what I'm talking about." he whispers.

"My dad's too immature to understand. I told John though."

"I think you should tell your father. I wouldn't want my little sister Isabella growing up to...not tell me about a relationship she's got with someone. It would hurt."

"That's your sister!" Sophia replies. "It's different."

"Then think how your father might feel?"

"I doubt he'd care! Beside telling him would mean talking to him and I don't want to do that. It always ends in tears. By the way have you seen Clarke?"

"Clarke? What does he want?" Alex asks, suspiciously.

"I can only tell people with clearance." she replies before standing up and making her way to the break room for coffee. He follows her.

"What kind of clearance?" he asks. "Sounds like a high profile case."

"I take it you don't have any."

He puts an arm around her waist and spirals her in to him. "I've got clearance." he tells her. "I'm your boyfriend."

"But you're not an agent on the case. So no! But nice try."

She blows him a kiss as she walks out with her filled up cup of coffee.


	40. Chapter 40

Sophia steps into Baker Street and glances around the room before taking a deep breath and then exhaling. Sherlock's playing his violin but as soon as he hears her step closer to the sofa, he stops playing and turns around.

He glances at her before sitting down and putting his hands in a pyramid shape. Sophia stands and looks at him. "Hello." she finally manages to say.

"Hello." Sherlock replies. "Here on a visit?" His tone is mocking and she rolls her eyes. "Oh John told me about the catastrophic error you've made in judgement!" Sophia smirks; not because she finds what he is saying funny but because it was so predictable. "How do you know he's not going to treat you horribly or something and then you'll probably end up crying to me..." Sophia snorts and interrupts him.

"Because he's not you! That's how I know." Sophia replies. "I came here to visit you because against my better judgement and from what I've been constantly informed...I miss you!"

He straightens his suit jacket and turns to face her. "Well it's been rather dull without you too."

Sophia smiles and sits down across from him. "Any cases lately?"

"None of importance." Sherlock remarks, with a bored expression.

"I met The President, by the way."

"Hmm?" Sherlock responds.

"Politics." Sophia mutters with a small smile.

"What does that matter?" Sherlock inquires.

"It doesn't." she answers him.

There's silence and Sherlock looks at her thoughtfully. "I saw you coming in, you were carrying a suitcase...You're staying for Christmas."

"An excellent deduction. Is there a problem with that?" Sophia replies, raising an eyebrow.

"He's not joining you is he?"

Sophia smirks, because now it's becoming amusing. "No, Alex will not be. I'm saving him the trauma of meeting you." Sherlock draws her a look and she bursts into laughter, lifting her hand up to her face to try and contain herself.

"That bruise on your hand how did that happen?" Sherlock asks quickly.

She looks at it. "I knew that was gonna bruise!" she scoffs. "Typical."

"What happened?" Sherlock asks, and he looks angry, and maybe even concerned. She realizes that he's concerned for her and despite how immature he's acting it's all because he cares about her.

"Well you see there is this thing called a door pane and I hit it off of it when I went on a rant. I feel more sorry for the doorpane at Mary and John's."

"You went to see them first?" Sherlock asks, shocked. His voice suddenly becomes mocking. "The happy couple."

Sophia rolls her eyes. "I had to see how they were settling in to mum's old house and besides they had a quick wedding that I didn't know about at first so we had a lot to catch up on. Anyway, I saved the best until last."

He smirks. "Chess?"

"Absolutely."

* * *

"I can't believe you'd dragged me to Christmas dinner." Sherlock says to Sophia as they make their way up to Mary and John's house. She stops and grabs his shoulders, and an expression becomes her face that Sherlock had only see many times on her mother. It just reminds him of how much his daughter has grown.

"Either you go in there to have dinner with them or I take you to Uncle Mycroft's! Your choice! So I suggest you take the first one and go in there with your friends; the people you tolerate and so exhaustingly tolerate you! You're going to be polite, you're going to be gracious and you're going to be an example of good behavior and maybe Santa won't bring you coal next year!"

"You look like your mother." Sherlock states before fixing his coat and making his way in.

"Sherlock you made it!" John says with a smirk. Sherlock smiles and then let's Mary take him into the living room.

John removes his wallet from his pocket and hands Sophia a ten pound note. "Keep it." Sophia says, giving it back.

"A bet is a bet." John replies. "Let me do my part as a gentleman."

Sophia chuckles and takes it off of him.

* * *

During dinner Sherlock actually does his best to be civil and polite. It's not so much out of consideration for other people, it's fear of Sophia giving him a swift kick or a derisive glance across the table. She's never done it before but there's a bit of Irene in her and he knows that Irene would have done it - in fact Irene has done it before.

"How's New York?" asks John.

"It's great!" Sophia replies, smiling. "The coffee out of an American Starbucks is a million times better than the coffee over here! Although the coffee machine in the break room is on the fritz now which means I almost have to go to Starbucks everyday but I'm so busy all the time that I don't get a chance...which means I have to stick with it but they're getting a new one."

John shakes his head. "Oh I've missed your tangents!" he says, with a small chuckle.

"How's Alex?" asks Mary.

John and Sherlock both stiffen at the question. "Alex is fine. We recently uncovered some information that assisted The President and we dined at the Whitehouse."

"Did you get in there because of his talent? Or did he get in there with you because of yours?" Sherlock remarks.

"Oh so you accept that I have talent?" Sophia inquires. "I'm flattered."

"Don't be." Sherlock remarks.

He winces because she kicks him from under the table. He looks at her and draws her a look and she kicks him again.

"New York's made you brave." Sherlock comments.

"No. I've just saw sense since I left." Sophia replies. She turns to Mary. "Do you need a hand with the plates?'

"Thanks, Sophia."

Sophia and Mary stand up and collect the plates before leaving John and Sherlock. "It's good to see you again." Mary says to Sophia when they get into the kitchen. "You've no idea how much we've both missed you. John especially...You're like his niece and maybe even his daughter. Which is why I had to spend a week consoling when he found out you had a boyfriend."

Sophia smiles, at the honor. "John was there for me when I was at a low...and if he hadn't been...I don't know where I'd be now or if I would be here. I needed someone and he...he was there. You, John, my dad...I love you all so much. Before all of you it was me and my mum...and I was...fine with that..."

She takes a deep breath and sits up on the worktop. "I found John and my father and I'm so glad I did. I just wish that perhaps...I'd met them under more...happier circumstances. In an ideal world I could have my mum and my dad. But I look at who I've got now and I'm happy with it..."

"You've every right to dream Sophia...What would your mum say if she knew about Alex?"

"I don't know." Sophia replies. "I imagine she'd like him better than me. He has this way of charming people."

"The same Alex who lied to you."

"The same Alex who lied to me to protect me." Sophia replies. "He knew that I wouldn't cope with the truth then...I'm my own worst enemy and the best of it is if I knew what...was happening I'd have...dived straight into the danger...But enough about me...Have you met Clara yet?"

Mary snorts. "Oh yes. I have." she replies.

"Do you two need help?" John's voice asks before Mary can say anything. He puts his arms around her.

"We're fine." Mary replies.

Sophia smiles. "I'll leave you two. I'm going to check on Mr Grumpy Face."

She jumps off the bunker, and hugs Mary and John before making her way to the living room.

"You've grown up." Sherlock utters before she can speak.

"I know you're an exception but that's what the human race tends to do." Sophia remarks.

There's silence and she begins to think before sitting down and talking to him again. "Did you always think that I was going to stay the same age forever?"

"You look just like your mother." he says sadly. Sophia realizes he's had too much wine. "Seeing you yesterday afternoon...you looked happy...just like her."

"I've always been happy. I'm happy because I have you and John. Mary. Alex."

"No...before you went to New York...you...smiled but it was out of being brave. Now you smile all the time because you're not with me..."

"No! That's not why! I had problems before. They've went away sort of. Because of all of you! Don't you see that?"

"I just hope you don't end up like your mother." he comments, dryly.

Sophia doesn't know whether it's an insult or an act of concern. "Alex isn't Norton..."

"Let's hope he isn't me either." he remarks.

"Alex is smart. Not smart arse. Nothing like you."

"Maybe that's why you like him so much."

"Oh my god! Look at the great Sherlock Holmes feeling in-superior to someone three years older than his daughter! You pitiable...pathetic...idiot!"

He looks at her and swallows. She sits beside him and puts a hand on his shoulder. "I need all of you. I've lost enough without losing a single one of you. I wouldn't be half as happy right now without you." She kisses his cheek. "I know we don't see eye to eye sometimes. But I trust you over every damn person on this earth. Except John. I trust you and him equally. You forget that it's so much easier for me to list the things that I wouldn't do for you rather than the list of things that I would. Whatever you've got to risk everything for...I'll risk everything for it too."

She stands up. "But I'm not going to sit about and pander to your need to be pitied. I didn't go to New York because I wanted to be happy...or because you drove me to be unhappy enough to get away from you...I went because...I am wasting away and doing nothing when over there I'm worth something! I feel happy doing the work in the FBI."

She laughs. "You're going through a midlife crisis, aren't you?" She shakes her head and wanders back into the kitchen.

John wanders over and pats Sherlock on the back after hearing the whole conversation. "Joys of being a sociopathic father, mate." he says before sitting down. "Maybe one day that title with have grandfather in it."

"I hope not!" Sherlock replies. "I'm not putting up with outcome of that!"

* * *

Five Years Later 

A small three year old wanders up to Sherlock and hands him a piece of paper. She smiles and her one green eye, and one blue eye both look at him inquiringly as she awaits his comment.

He looks at it and smiles. "It's very good. What's it supposed to be?" Sherlock asks.

"The pe...pewiodic...twable." she replies.

"Table." he corrects her. Then he smiles again. "It's very good!"

"Put it on the fridge!" she says, jumping up and down cheerfully.

"You're as bossy as your mother! And your grandmother." he remarks before making his way to the fridge and pinning the paper to it. "Shouldn't you be sleeping, trouble?'

"I'm called Irene!" the three year old replies, folding her arms.

Sherlock turns around. "Yes I know! I'm calling you trouble."

He strolls over and lifts her up. "You begged your parents to drop you off here to stay while they investigated bad people at a hotel instead of staying in New York with one of your parents' friends...and you promised you'd go to sleep when you were told."

"But sleeping is boring." she says with a pout.

"Yes." Sherlock replies as her carries her upstairs. "But you still have to do it. Come on I'll tell you a story."

She puts her arms around his neck tightly. "I love you Grandpa."

"You too." he replies.

He tucks her in and reads her a story from one of her books.

_No wonder it puts kids to sleep; it's tedious. _

He gets up and puts the light out. "Goodnight, Irene." he says.


End file.
